Jim McDowell who calls himself the Black Potter was born in Norfolk, Virginia. His Great Great Great Great Aunt Evangeline was a village potter in Jamaica and his Great Grandfather a tombstone maker from Gaffney South Carolina and his Father a self taught artist was well. Jim came of age in Washington DC during the struggles for Civil Rights. A severe hearing loss gave him trouble in school so he left to join the Job Corps. A Vietnam Era vet stationed in Germany, Jim began to pray during difficult times and found a spiritual relationship with God. He changed this thoughts about killing and when he told this to his commanding officers, they assigned him to operate the craft shop on base. Jim wanted to use the pottery wheel and kiln he found there and teach others to do the same, but he had to learn it himself first. He heard about German potters in Nuremberg and went there on leave to find them. He didn't speak German and they didn't speak English but they let him observe their work, clean up the shop, and load the wood fired kiln, which he especially loved. He took what he learned back to Ansbach and practiced on the wheel until he was good enough to give lessons. Jim made his first "ugly" jug in 1983 after seeing one created by a white potter, only Jim made his with black features. Later he learned about the literate slave potter Dave from Edgefield, South Carolina and to honor him began inscribing messages on his face jugs like Dave did on his pots. Jim began to put all his stored up emotions about slavery, his share cropper ancestors, Civil Rights, discrimination he experienced while working in the coal mines of Kentucky and the military, and more into the face jugs. His hand printed words are the final touch on each face jug. Usually on the left side of the jug's back, he writes an antislavery message, and on the right side a message for today. Jim considers the pot complete once he has carved his words into the clay.
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Cricket 9" tall clay, blue glaze, one china tooth, double horns, single handle $300 |
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Mambo 9" tall clay, green ashen glaze, double handles $350 |
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Saint Joe 7" tall clay, buttermilk glaze, two china teeth, cigar, single handle $300 |
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Socrates 7" tall clay, wood fired, metallic ash green glaze $350 |
