Adam Silverman // Atwater Pottery

Boolean Valley

The man at the wheel of Atwater Pottery studied architecture, art and design at RISD before heading west. After a short stint as an architect, he co-founded Xlarge. The ultra-trendy streetwear company blends skateboarding, hip-hop, art culture and was mentored by Beastie Boys’ Mike D. in its early days. After twenty-five years of making pots for friends and family, he became a professional potter in 2003 and is now the Studio Director of Heath Ceramics. Silverman’s earthy, hand-thrown pots are sublime. Thick with texture and bubbling lava like glazes, irregularly shaped, pocked and nubby, they epitomize the Japanese aesthetic of Wabi-Sabi. Stating “beauty is not enough,” he seeks out exotic glazes and kilns.

While his craft is based on ancient pottery techniques, Silverman’s primitive yet modern vessels essentially humanize contemporary design. His contemplative ceramics, replete with ashy residue and scars, are commissioned by collectors and design stores, exhibited at galleries, and through Heath, full lines of dishes as well as custom pieces are available for restaurants and hotels. From March 22nd to July 5th at MOCA Pacific Design Center, you can view Boolean Valley, the collaborative project between Silverman and architect Nader Tehrani. This site-specific room-sized installation is comprised of 400 cut, clay objects glazed in a colorful compound of cobalt, silicon, and carbide. Together, these elements form a topographical sculptural landscape derived from the principle of Boolean Logic, which defines where objects intersect.

Atwater Pottery
(323) 666-3963
www.atwaterpottery.com

Heath Ceramics Los Angeles
(323) 965-0800
www.heathceramics.com