Rudy Autio, RIP

June 22, 2007 12:29 PM

Rudy Autio, the Matisse of the ceramics world, has passed away at age 70. Born in 1926 to a Finnish family in ethnically diverse and bustling Butte, Montana, Rudy went on to study ceramics with Frances Senska at MSU. There he met future ceramics titan, Peter Voulkos, and became founding residents of the Archie Bray Foundation. Because of their revolutionary work, the 2 of them helped bring recognition to a field that had previously only been considered craft. Autio's giant torso-shaped vessels are often decorated with post-impressionistic horses and dancing women, but he also ventured into printmaking, tapestry design and murals. According to Ken Little, "If the ceramics world had a Mount Rushmore, it would be Peter Voulkos, Rudy, Paul Soldner and Don Reitz."
posted by ikahime (8 comments total)

80. Although I hear tell that 80 is the new 70.

/Picky and Analfilter
posted by Skygazer at 1:08 PM on June 22, 2007

He's gone to a better place.


seriously, heaven recently installed a totally crazy "naked chicks & horses" carnival ride
posted by parallax7d at 1:11 PM on June 22, 2007

Another good one, up the flue. Here's hoping he deigns to stop by my pitiful kiln to grant me even a mote of his skill.

Minor editorial: My Mount Claymore would be Leach, Olsen, Voulkos and Cushing, but I'm not Ken Little, so who cares?
posted by 1f2frfbf at 1:22 PM on June 22, 2007

How big are those pieces? Seeing that picture of him in the studio working on something massive makes me wonder if I'm not grasping the scale of some of his pieces.
posted by dejah420 at 1:39 PM on June 22, 2007

dejah420, anything even close to that size is far beyond the capabilities of most ceramicists. I also agree that Leach and Olsen should be up there, and what about Shojji Hamada, that man is a god as far as I am concerned.

Interesting side not, in my college ceramics program I studied with a great grandson of Matisse, and yes he is far more talented than almost everyone else in the program.
posted by BobbyDigital at 2:07 PM on June 22, 2007

Whoops, slip o' the finger on the age. Also, as far as the scale of the works, they are quite large (larger than a human torso) but not titanic. Here's a good pic of Rudy working on one of his pieces for scale.
posted by ikahime at 2:09 PM on June 22, 2007

He is also the artist responsible for the 7-foot-tall, 5,000-pound bronze grizzly bear statue on the UM Oval.

Like many Missoula children, I climbed on this many times growing up.
posted by Tube at 6:16 PM on June 22, 2007

Thanks ikahime
Thanks MeFi
Thanks Rudy
See you on the other side.

You told me, I see you rise
But, it always falls
I see you come, I see you go
He said, “All things pass into the night.”
And I said, “Oh no sir, I must say you’re wrong,
"I must disagree, oh no sir, I must say you’re wrong.
"Won’t you listen to me?”

You told me, I’ve seen it all before
I’ve been there, I’ve seen my hopes and dreams
A lying on the ground.
I’ve seen the sky just begin to fall
He said, “All things pass into the night.”
And I said, “Oh no sir, I must say you’re wrong,
"I must disagree, oh no sir, I must say you’re wrong.
"Won’t you listen to me?”

Goodbye horses, I’m flying over you
Goodbye horses, I’m flying over you
Goodbye horses, I’m flying over you
Goodbye horses, I’m flying, flying, flying over you

Hoooooo
Hooooooo…..
posted by MapGuy at 7:27 AM on June 23, 2007