Over the last decade the narrowing of the gulf that traditionally existed between the realms of fine art and craft has resulted in a shift in perception of what ceramics can be and can mean. All areas of ceramic practice have been revitalized as a result-the creative possibilities that artists, lured by the plastic and tactile qualities of clay, have brought with them into ceramics have influenced ceramists of all backgrounds.<br /><br />Analyzing work from the last ten years, this book covers every aspect of contemporary ceramic practice and includes work of all sizes-from a few inches to large-scale installations. It is organized <br />into five main chapters:<ul> <li> <strong>Beyond Utility</strong>: original yet functional ceramics </li> <li> <strong>Defining Space</strong>: wheel-thrown shapes, slip-cast forms, and hand-built structures</li> <li> <strong>Mind the Gap</strong>: sculptural work from precise and mechanical to freely modeled forms </li> <li> <strong>A Sense of Space</strong>: installations, both site-specific and environmental</li> <li> <strong>The Line of Beauty</strong>: collaborations between art and industry that result from advances in technology </li></ul><em>Contemporary Ceramics</em> also includes biographies of the featured ceramists and a directory of museums and galleries.