13,000 years of Ceramics’...and then there was Doug

Doug Peltzman is a ceramicist currently working toward his Masters of Fine Arts at Penn State University. His work deals mainly with functional objects that can be used in daily life. However, by simply looking at the work, it is apparent that Mr. Peltzman’s ceramic pieces go beyond the functional and enter into the realm of Fine Arts.

The first aspect that becomes apparent through investigating the work is that there is an overwhelming tactile quality to each piece. This draws the viewer in and beckons the individual to engage the object through touch. The hand drawn lines and ornamentation become sensitized as one holds the object. Mr. Peltzman is also able to incorporate an audible sensation with his works, specifically with the lids of the urn like structures he has created; the sound of removing the lid is quite pleasing to the ear as well as the touch. The glaze work of each piece acts like water pooling on a surface as it is effected by gravity. In addition, the line work brings a heightened awareness to the fluidity of the form as well as the function of the particular object.

Looking at the objects I am initially reminded of the home, but the objects are a supporting cast for events that may occur within the domicile. When I consider Mr. Peltzman’s work, I think of ceramics from a historical aspect of entertainment and conversation during household gatherings; similar to how the ancient Greeks utilized their ceramics. Whether it is during a dining experience or simple leisure time, these objects provoke discussion as well as a tactile interface to experience the pieces more personally.

As for their function, I feel that these pieces would be for actual use rather than kept sacred and revered. To use them simply for display would deny them of their inherent function and destroy the efforts Mr. Peltzman has put forth. Instead, these ceramics pieces provoke a need and desire within to create an occasion to which they can be utilized to their fullest extent and fulfill their destiny.

All of Mr. Peltzman’s works have an individual quality and a certain uniqueness that separates each piece from one another. Although two pieces have the same function, they are not identical in their visual form; there is no duplication that occurs. But somehow, Mr. Peltzman is able to establish a body of work by having a signature style that resonates throughout all of the works, creating a personification of himself in each and every piece.