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    The Mad Potter: George E. Ohr, Eccentric Genius
    Unavailable
    The Mad Potter: George E. Ohr, Eccentric Genius
    Unavailable
    The Mad Potter: George E. Ohr, Eccentric Genius
    Ebook111 pages36 minutes

    The Mad Potter: George E. Ohr, Eccentric Genius

    By Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    When George Ohr's trove of pottery was discovered in 1967, years after his death, his true genius was discovered with it. The world could finally see how unique this artist really was!

    Born in 1856 in Biloxi, Mississippi, George grew up to the sounds of the civil war and political unrest. When he was 22, his boyhood friend introduced him to the pottery wheel. The lost young man suddenly found his calling.

    "When I found the potter's wheel I felt it all over like a duck in water."

    He started creating strangely crafted pots and vases, expressing his creativity and personality through the ceramic sculptures. Eventually he had thousands at his fingertips. He took them to fairs and art shows, but nobody was buying these odd figures from this bizarre man. Eventually he retired, but not without hiding hundreds of his ceramics.

    Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan, authors of the award winning Ballet for Martha, approach this colorful biography with a gentle and curious hand.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Publishers
    Release dateOct 29, 2013
    ISBN9781466848771
    Unavailable
    The Mad Potter: George E. Ohr, Eccentric Genius

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    Reviews for The Mad Potter

    4/5

    3 ratings6 reviews

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    • 4/5
      This vividly told biography about a mad potter who becomes most successful about one hundred years after his death may inspire children. Interesting in part because he predicted his own success, students will relate to his eccentricities and learn about history and ceramic making in the process. Primary source documents are used for illustrations. It also would be good for a lesson on media propaganda.
    • 5/5
      A fascinating, completely engaging introduction to a delightfully eccentric, innovative artist.
    • 3/5
      2014 Sibert Award HonorI selected The Mad Potter: George E. Ohr, Eccentric Genius to read after having seen it displayed in several middle school library collections. While I enjoyed the book for what it was - a biographical look at an artist who, despite artistic vision, remained in obscurity during his lifetime - I had some issues with the narrative thread of this text. I found it difficult to follow in spots, mainly because my eye was drawn instead to the period photographs and examples of Ohr's gorgeous work, and I wonder if that would hamper students from taking more away from the reading experience. That being said, I felt that the book was well researched, age-appropriate (grades 4-8), and included child-friendly instructions for how to throw a piece of pottery using a wheel, and how to discuss the aesthetics of an artistic piece.
    • 4/5
      The Mad Potter: George E. Ohr, Eccentric Genius by Jan Greenberg is a middle grades biography of potter, George E. Ohr, whose unique style of pottery didn't gain recognition until well after his death.Ohr who was born and raised in Biloxi to German immigrant parents had trained originally to be a blacksmith, thus following in the family business. But a friendship with Joseph Fortune Meyer, a local potter, was the inspiration Ohr needed to switch career paths.Like Picasso, Ohr was driven to life long experimentation with his chosen art, both in terms of glazes and in the shapes of his works. Over all his style is very organic, the pieces often appearing melted or deformed, a style that wouldn't catch on until the 1960s and 1970s, four decades after his death.Part of Ohr's problem with finding an audience for his work during his lifetime may well have been his over reliance on showmanship and his own ego. Yes, his work is good and yes, it was revolutionary but sometimes baby steps are the way to go.There were a couple instances that the book outlines where he was given the opportunity to show some or his work or to sell some of it. But he was an all or nothing sort of guy. A little exposure could have lead to better exposure during his life time.
    • 3/5
      A biography about a mad potter, George E Ohr. George E. Ohr was a man who took advantage of what he did. He was known in Bilouxi, Mississippi, and New Orleans, Louisiana. George E. Ohr's shop was in the New Orleans Daily Picayune as one gs one of the "two things not to be missed in Biloxi,..." His pottery was unique and his exciting personality made him stand out. A man back in the day who made History a bit more interesting.
    • 4/5
      I didn't know who George Ohr, Pott - Ohr "extraordinaire", was before I started reading this engaging and vibrant biography, but I really enjoyed learning about him, his eccentricities, his talent, and Biloxi, Mississippi. What I wouldn't give to have wandered through that sleepy town one hundred years ago, and stumble upon his warehouse of wonders.

      Love the cover, too. So catchy!