I took a Friday off from work to head over to Charlotte NC with a friend of mine who was visiting for a few days. I was slightly worried about how it was going to go to be honest… I was unsure about whether I should be inflicting a 2 1/2 hour drive on her that culminated in a ceramics show. Could be pretty boring. I had visions of a silent glum ride home, but I had heard good things so stuck to my guns and it proved to be well worth the drive. I loved it and Katie enjoyed it too. It was the exuberant sculptural teapots that really captured my imagination. “Elephant Leaf Tea” is just fabulous I think. The exhibition was so good in fact that I decided to document the whole thing in photographs.

The show is now on tour and set to open at The Renwick Gallery in Washington D.C June 28-January 5 (https://michaelsherrill.net/calendar/2018/6/28/michael-sherrill-retrospective-5wm76). In 2020 it will go to Arizona State University Art Museum. I would definitely recommend going to see it in person if you can. Photographs don’t catch the details or breadth of the work. But in case you don’t live close to either of these places, here’s a virtual version…

Michael Sherrill, Steins, 1977. Salt glazed stoneware.

Michael Sherrill, Potter's Tongue, 1987. Raku white stoneware with glaze, thrown and altered.

Michael Sherrill, Sphere, 1982. Salt glaze, stoneware.

Michael Sherrill, Tanzen Covered Jars, 1984. Raku white stoneware with glaze, handle includes wood.

Michael Sherrill, The American Series, 1991. Raku white stoneware, applied color.

Michael Sherrill, Vase with Landscape, 1983. Porcelain, salt glaze.

Here’s a collection of bottle forms from the show. Bottles are a shape Michael comes back to over the years.

Michael Sherrill, Aqua Bottles (Front View), 1995. White Stoneware, celadon glaze.

Michael Sherrill, Aqua Bottles, 1995. White Stoneware, celadon glaze.

Michael Sherrill, Locust Bottles, 1999. Porcelain, abraded glaze.

Michael Sherrill, One of the Aqua Bottles, 1995. White Stoneware, celadon glaze.

Michael Sherrill, Star Bottles, 1998. White stoneware, barium glaze.

Broad sculptural teapot view.

Michael Sherrill, Sculptural Teapots through the hazy plexiglass.

Michael Sherrill Three Leaf Tea, 1999. Fired white stoneware, 23K gold leaf.

Michael Sherrill Twisted Tea, 1992. Stoneware.

Michael Sherrill Two Sides of Tea, 1992. Ceramic.

Michael Sherrill, Black Wave, 1994. Stoneware, metallic glaze.

Michael Sherrill, Blue Celadon Tea, 1968. Porcelain celadon glaze; handle-cane, silver.

Michael Sherrill, Blue Tea, 1979. Salt-fired porcelain with green glazing- blue ash glaze.

Michael Sherrill, Burial Tea, 1991. White Stoneware, barium glaze.

Michael Sherrill, Elephant Tea Leaf, 2005 (front view). Porcelain, bronze handle and glass finial.

Michael Sherrill, Elephant Tea Leaf, 2005 (looking left). Porcelain, bronze handle and glass finial.

Michael Sherrill, Elephant Tea Leaf, 2005. Porcelain, bronze handle and glass finial.

Michael Sherrill, Fire Box Tea (side view), 1968. Porcelain, ash glaze handle; silver, bamboo.

Michael Sherrill, Fire Box Tea, 1968. Porcelain, ash glaze handle; silver, bamboo.

Michael Sherrill, Future Past, 1991. White stoneware, barium glaze.

Michael Sherrill, Green Tea, 2000. Stoneware, barium glaze.

Michael Sherrill, Halcyon Tea, 1997. Fired white stoneware, 23K gold leaf.

Michael Sherrill, Happy to See You, 1997. Stoneware, barium glaze.

Michael Sherrill, Head and shoulders, 1990. White stoneware, barium glaze.

Michael Sherrill, Illustrated Tea, 1993. Stoneware, black glaze.

Michael Sherrill, Jacob's Ladder, 1998, Fired white stoneware, 23K gold leaf.

Michael Sherrill, Leather Jacket Tea, 1992. White stoneware, metallic sandblasted surface.

Michael Sherrill, My Moving Heart, 1995. Stoneware, metallic glaze.

Michael Sherrill, Oil Cans, 1990. Stoneware, metallic glaze.

Michael Sherrill, Queen of Hearts, 1990. Stoneware, glazes, lustres.

Michael Sherrill, Red Lacquer Teapot, 1997. Ceramic.

Michael Sherrill, Solomon's Seal. 1997. Stoneware, barium glaze.

Michael Sherrill, Steel Bloom, 1997. Stoneware, metallic glaze.

Michael Sherrill, Tango Leaf, 1998. White stoneware, metallic glaze.

Michael Sherrill, Dividing the Light, 1991. White stoneware, barium glaze.

Michael Sherrill, Minimilist Jar, White and Black, 1991. White Stoneware, barium glaze.

Michael Sherrill, Reconcilliation Between the Light and the Dark, 2006. Cast gray iron, enamel

Michael Sherrill, Like Water, 2006, Cast gray iron, enamel.

Michael Sherrill, Right and Left Brain, 1994. White stoneware, barium glaze.

Michael Sherrill, Saville Row, 2006, Cast gray iron, enamel.

Michael Sherrill, Golden Moment, 1997. White stoneware, 23K gold.

Michael Sherrill Tumbling Fishtail Poplar, 1999. Porcelain, glaze, steel

Michael Sherrill Turning Leaves, 1998. Stoneware, alkaline glaze.

Michael Sherrill Turning Leaves, 1998 (detail). Stoneware, alkaline glaze.

Michael Sherrill, Mouths to Feed, 2009. Colored laminated porcelain, silica bronze, Moretti glass.

Michael Sherrill, A Beautiful Death, 2017. Porcelain, silica bronze, Moretti glass.

Michael Sherrill, A Beautiful Death, 2017 (detail_. Porcelain, silica bronze, Moretti glass.

Michael Sherrill, Appalacian Cutout, 1999. Porcelain, steel.

Michael Sherrill, Appalacian Moment, 1999. Steel, abraded porcelain

Michael Sherrill, Black Medicine, 2014. Silica bronze, Moretti glass.

Michael Sherrill, Bloom at Night, 2008. Mokume-style porcelain, silica bronze, Moretti glass.

Michael Sherrill, Brightly Hidden, 2010. Porcelain, silica bronze, glass.

Michael Sherrill, Bringing up Babies, 2003. Porcelain, glaze, steel.

Michael Sherrill, Bumbleberry, 1999. Porcelain, abraded glaze, alloy steel.

Michael Sherrill, Bumbleberry, Appalacian Moment and New Growth Maquette 1999. Porcelain, abraded glaze, alloy steel.

Michael Sherrill, Dutch Solomon, 2015. Porcelain, silica bronze, glass.

Michael Sherrill, Flourish Rhododendron, 2008. Porcelain, glaze, bronze.

Michael Sherrill, Group of Pieces.

Michael Sherrill, Grouping of Rhododendrons.

Michael Sherrill, Hearts-a-bustin', 2005. Porcelain, abraded glaze, silica bronze, Moretti glass.

Michael Sherrill, Heavy with Love, 2003. Porcelain, steel.

Michael Sherrill, Honey Locust (detail), 2001. Porcelain, forged steel.

Michael Sherrill, Honey Locust, 2001. Porcelain, forged steel.

Michael Sherrill, How Plants Travel (detail), 2003. Porcelain, steel, glass.

Michael Sherrill, Julesvernium (Seaflower), 2008 (detail II). Colored laminated porcelain, silica bronze, Moretti glass.

Michael Sherrill, Julesvernium (Seaflower), 2008 (detail). Colored laminated porcelain, silica bronze, Moretti glass.

Michael Sherrill, Julesvernium (Seaflower), 2008. Colored laminated porcelain, silica bronze, Moretti glass.

Michael Sherrill, Mary's Apples, 2006. Porcelain, abraded glaze, steel.

Michael Sherrill, New Growth Maquette, 2001. Abraded porcelain, steel.

Michael Sherrill, Old Man's Beard, 2014. Porcelain, silica bronze.

Michael Sherrill, Remnant, 2016 (detail). Porcelain, silica bronze.

Michael Sherrill, Remnant, 2016. Porcelain, silica bronze.

Michael Sherrill, Shadow, Colored laminated porcelain, silica bronze, Moretti glass.

Michael Sherrill, Stormy Rhododendron, 2005. Porcelain, abraded glaze, forged steel.

Michael Sherrill, Temple of the Cool Beauty (Yucca), 2005 (detail). Porcelain, silica bronze, Moretti glass.

Michael Sherrill, Temple of the Cool Beauty (Yucca), 2005. Porcelain, silica bronze, Moretti glass.

Michael Sherrill, Undressed Magnolia, 2003. Porcelain, glaze, steel.

Michael Sherrill, What the Eye Sees, 2003. Porcelain, steel.

Michael Sherrill, Yellowstone Rhododendron, 2000. Porcelain, glaze, steel.

Finally, here’s the short film that accompanies the exhibition: