Spring Break
Flat Penny Folk Art embraces the 'ugly'
MARIA DANELLO
Issue date: 2/1/07 Section: Out & About
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If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, then so is ugliness.
However, those attending the face jug workshop at the Flat Penny Folk Art Gallery Saturday will learn that what is considered "ugly" has a strong history in Southeastern culture.
When: 10 a.m. Saturday (another class at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 3)
Where: Flat Penny Art Gallery at the Leathers Building at 675 Pulaski St., Suite 1600
Cost: $40
More Information:
www.flatpennyfolk.com or
706-552-0750Saturday, members of the community - artistic or not - are invited to participate in Face Jug 101, hosted by Tim Flinn and Bobbi Jo Imbrogno of Flat Penny Folk Art Gallery, an institution founded with the goal of supporting folk artists.
Face jugs have been an important part of Southern culture since their introduction in the 19th century.
At that time, Edgefield, S.C., was the most significant pottery center in the Southeast due to innovations such as the treadle wheel, groundhog kilns, alkaline glazes and the face jug.
"These innovations traveled from Edgefield like the spokes of a wheel to destinations throughout the South, including Texas," Flinn said.
The impetus for face jugs is unclear, but there are several theories explaining their creation.
Imbrogno said the face jug could have been a symbol of African or Caribbean origins that represent a cultural or religious past.
Another consideration is that the jugs, usually used for whiskey, evolved into the "ugly jugs" as individual protests against the consumption and production of alcohol.
Imbrogno said another likelihood is that the face jug was created as a "show-off" piece meant to impress a boss, customer or other workers.
After the Civil War, glass and tin containers dominated the North while the South maintained its dependence on the potter.
However, those attending the face jug workshop at the Flat Penny Folk Art Gallery Saturday will learn that what is considered "ugly" has a strong history in Southeastern culture.
FACE JUGS
When: 10 a.m. Saturday (another class at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 3)
Where: Flat Penny Art Gallery at the Leathers Building at 675 Pulaski St., Suite 1600
Cost: $40
More Information:
www.flatpennyfolk.com or
706-552-0750
Face jugs have been an important part of Southern culture since their introduction in the 19th century.
At that time, Edgefield, S.C., was the most significant pottery center in the Southeast due to innovations such as the treadle wheel, groundhog kilns, alkaline glazes and the face jug.
"These innovations traveled from Edgefield like the spokes of a wheel to destinations throughout the South, including Texas," Flinn said.
The impetus for face jugs is unclear, but there are several theories explaining their creation.
Imbrogno said the face jug could have been a symbol of African or Caribbean origins that represent a cultural or religious past.
Another consideration is that the jugs, usually used for whiskey, evolved into the "ugly jugs" as individual protests against the consumption and production of alcohol.
Imbrogno said another likelihood is that the face jug was created as a "show-off" piece meant to impress a boss, customer or other workers.
After the Civil War, glass and tin containers dominated the North while the South maintained its dependence on the potter.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Debora Bailey
posted 10/21/07 @ 7:50 PM EST
How exciting for me, an elementary art teacher researching Ugly Jugs as background for my upcoming lesson on Ugly Face Jugs to find an article in the Red and Black, bringing me a short history of these jugs. (Continued…)
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