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Ceramics Monthly's reviews of Artists in Residence ceramics tapes Curtis Benzle: Translucence in Layers Jane Hockensmith-Reich and Jeff Reich: Clay defying Gravity Steve Smith: Clay dancing in Flames December, 2002 Intended as teaching aids, this series of "a day in the life" documentaries (see page 28 of the October issue) includes videos of ceramics artists demonstrating forming, decorating, and firing processes while discussing influences and aesthetic concerns. Hilliard, Ohio ceramist Curtis Benzle explains in Curtis Benzle:Translucence in Layers that he has always maintained "two parts of my personal creative output--one has been my own creative work, where I work on porcelain vessels; the other is essentially a business, where I design and produce products . . . I've always done both, because I want to have some balance in my life. To gain that balance, I need to have a source of income and a source of pure creative expression." The tape begins with a tour of both studios--one for production of affordable gift items, the other for his one-of-a-kind, handbuilt colored-clay vessels. Benzle then demonstrates how he produces gradations of color. Slightly different proportions of colored and uncolored pocelain are mixed together, formed into short coils and flattened. The flattened coils are stacked and compressed, and the resulting block gently squeezed to form a long coil from which wafer-thin pieces are cut.These are used to develop a pattern for the wall of a vessel, the entire process normally taking about 3-4 hours. "It can be time consuming and sometimes tedious, but if I didn't enjoy the process, I don't think I'd be doing this at all." In Jane Hockensmith-Reich and Jeff Reich: Clay defying Gravity Yellow Springs artists Jane Hockensmith-Reich and Jeff Reich extrude a long tube of clay, which Jeff uses to make a bird feeder. Jane then wedges clay to throw a large bowl on the wheel. "Centering is . . . by far the hardest thing to learn in throwing a pot," says Jeff, who narrates Jane's actions. When the bowl is leather hard, Janes cuts and rejoins the wall, accenting the alteration with slip-trailed and pierced decoration. "There are only so many shapes that you can make on the wheel," Jeff explains. "It's these alterations that make the piece . . . your own." Finally, Jane throws a tall, thin vase; and a similar form that has already been cut and altered is shown. Steve Smith: Clay dancing in Flames features Ney, Ohio, artist Steve Smith firing his wood-brning kiln with the help of students and other artists. "The whole communal atmosphere is very important to me as an educator," he says. "It's an opportunity for the younger students to come to a real studio and give them a sense of encouragement. For the older, it's a chance to come, relax, do a firing and enjoy the social aspect of being an artist." As Smith and his students continue to moniter and stoke the kiln, he explains the importance of establishing a rhythm to the firing. In the final segment, Smith shows some of the finished works. "You don't know exactly what's going to happen and that's the fun part," he comments. "That's why I don't do production work in the wood kiln. It's special pots that I really want that dialogue to work better with and let them come alive in their own way." Available as VHS videocassettes. Approximately 50 minutes each. $25 each. Artists in Residence, 506 E. Tompkins St., Columbus, OH 43202; see website www.ArtinRes.com; telephone (614) 560-7646. Reprinted from the December 2002 issue of Ceramics Monthly (www.ceramicsmonthly.org), with permission from the publisher, The American Ceramics Society, 735 Ceramic Place, Westerville, Ohio 43081. All rights reserved.