To the art world, Jerry Rothman's name is well renowned.  As an accomplished contemporary artist, Jerry's sculptures span postmodern to the present.  His art and ides continue to be associated with the ceramic revolution in the United States.  Thanks to Jerry and his contemporaries, the world of art finally recognizes the U.S. as having a legitimate ceramic movement and ceramic art is now admired as something more than craft.

Since the late 1950's, ceramics in North America is viewed as having meaning, wit and intellect.  Rothman's keen knowledge of the ceramic media is awesome and his advice is sought world wide.  Although Rothman is a master ceramist, he is also well-known as a multi-media artist.  He uses whatever materials he needs to accomplish his goals and make his ideas come to life.

The Word had the honor of interviewing Jerry Rothman in his Laguna Canyon studio, where creative energy never ceases.  The area is alive with auto shops, welders, cabinet makers, painters, skim board shops, gyms and of course, the art community, who never sleeps.

TS:  How did you start your career?
JR:  I was a furniture maker at 16 years old - worked with brass, steel, everything . . .  At 22 or 23, I went back to school and got involved with western design and some ceramic courses.  From then on, I was fully involved in ceramics.  Billy Bernstein and Kenny Chrysler knew what the were doing and told me to see Peter Voulkus.  Volkus came to work with me at Otis.  Then Voulkus and I went off to Japan for two years.  I did lots of sculpting and had lots of shows in Japan.  I came back to the U.S. with some notoriety.  I showed with John Mason and Paul Soldner.  We did a lot of publicity art here in the U.S.

TS:  You hung out with the original rat pac - Voulkus, Soldner?
JR:  I was always the odd guy out with my attitude. . .  I just always ended up being the odd guy out.

TS:  Your art has a lot of ceramics, but I think you treat it differently than ceramic purists.
JR:  I am not a purist.  Anything that works to get the results I want goes.

TS:  What are you working on right now?  I know you are going to be at the Laguna Art Museum.
JR:  I am restoring some stuff that is around 50 years old (Pointing to sculptures).  That one is 45 years old.  The one over there is 35 years old.  I brought that one back from Japan.  It was a real mess.  I've been restoring old pieces for the last seven months.  Before this, I spent two years making a whole series of pieces (about 20) called "Bay Views" and "Views From My Deck."  They are going to be shown at the Grand Central Art Center in Santa Ana.  The older stuff will be shown at the Laguna Museum, along with the art from the older guys from Otis.  It should be an interesting show.

TS:  In Japan, you did some glaze formulas.
JR:  In Japan, I did a lot of glaze formulas.  Well, I did a lot of stuff! I revolutionized stoneware work designs.  Made all my own work over there.  Had pieces of work at the Museum of Modern Art at Kyoto.

TS:  Do you have anything showing right now?
JR:  I am currently showing in Santa Ana and on November 1, will be in the Laguna Museum.

TS:  Is there a difference between art and craft?
JR:  Yes, it all has craft - sculpture and whatever.  Whether it becomes art . . .  some chairs are great art, some are crap.  Some paintings are great art and some are crap.  It makes no difference what the media is.  It all depends on what is done with it.  Some things are critical examples of craft and they can be admired because they are so beautiful.  Faberge eggs have that quality.  And then other things go beyond that.  So, yes, art and craft are one big thing and equally important.  A great craftsman makes beautiful utilitarian stuff.  It's very difficult to make something that is truly utilitarian and beautiful at the same time.

TS:  Thanks Jerry for your time and insights.  We look forward to your upcoming show.

Note to readers:  Remember the Art Walk is held the first Thursday of every month.  The galleries are open late, offering wine and snacks.  The museum is free to the public and with your new knowledge of Jerry Rothman, you could impress a date! After enjoying fine art and wine at the museum, you could head over to your favorite club or one of Laguna's fabulous restaurants like Laguna Village Bistro.