Karen Karnes (b. 1925) is a ceramic artist heralding from New York (Brooklyn, to be exact) who uses salt glazing and wood firing in her work. It has been said that Karen is the "grandmother of American ceramics," having been influenced at the prestigious, but short-lived Black Mountain College by renowned avant-garde artists like Robert Rauschenberg, John Cage, and Peter Voulkos.
Her work, though traditional in material, always retains a modern approach, whether it's a functional pot or an expressive sculptural vessel. She attended Brooklyn College and Alfred University in New York. She has worked at Black Mountain College and Gatehill College in Stony Point, NY. The list of her exhibitions is extensive and her work can be found in the collections of the Museum of Arts and Design, Cranbrook Museum of Art, Everson Museum of Art, Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, among others.
30 Artists who work with Clay are represented in an Exhibition visiting eight cities - Learn more about the exhibition at the Craft In America website HERE >
America's important Clay artists are featured in the Book. Learn more about the Book and where to order HERE >
