Rhett Buckner and good ole’ Alabama mud...
It was 1959 and I was eight years old and visiting The Alabama Museum of Natural History in Montgomery, Al. The Indian Room had bows, arrows, spears and pottery made from clay. I thought, “Wow. We have clay in the back yard!” I had heard mom fussing about how hard it was to grow flowers.
Later that day, I dug up some of the clay and made gritty mud pies. Something was not right. The next day they, we went to Wetumpka and gathered some slick, red, real clay from the roadside. After a few days of playing with the real clay, interest waned and I moved on.
In 1973 I took a one hour ceramics class to fill out his schedule at Auburn University. It was not a structured course and that Quarter I made an ash tray, one cup and a small bud vase. Not much going on there!
In 2003 I was on the job with the United States Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency. A livestock watering facility was being built and the well drilling machine brought up some beautiful green clay from 75 to 100 feet below the surface. Something clicked and I just had to have some of that clay. I determined that only the most basic methods of clay building would be employed, fingers and imagination. It’s still that way today.
I hand build with clay from the roadsides, dirt pits and creek beds of my neighborhood. Occasionally a clay may need amending to ensure a strong, durable piece. Additions to my clay rarely exceed 20% and come from commercial clay pits in Kentucky.
All my glazes are no-toxic and food safe. My works may be plain, simple or utilitarian; but I aim for a one of a kind glaze on each piece. Most of the glazes mix, mingle, run and overlap producing interesting effects.
I hope you find something interesting in my work. If it doesn’t show up today visit us again soon. New shapes and colors spring up often.
Rhett
Note: Each piece, though unique in itself, will have a hand written (by Rhett) saying on the back such as:
“I’m Running Real Fast But I Move Pretty Slow.”
Grateful Dead, 1970’s