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Tom Rippon, Thomas Rippon
Biography to Display:
1954 Born Sacramento, California
2010 Died Sacramento, California
1971-1974 University of California, Davis, California
1979 MFA Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
APPRENTICESHIPS AND RESIDENCIES
1976 Artist-in-Residence, John Michael Kohler Art Center, Sheboygan, Wisconsin
PRIMARY WORK EXPERIENCE
1988-2008 Ceramic Artist
1989-2010 Chair and Professor of Art, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana
Tom Rippon is known for porcelain, hand-built and assembled, small-scale sculptures.
The sculptures are pared-down compositions often using a tear drop, squiggle and cone motif to make abstractions based on the human body. Rippon's stylized sculptures clearly reference Surrealism, Minimalism, and Expressionism.
An early experience as the baby sitter for Robert Arneson's sons began a long friendship. Arneson brought him to study with him at the University of California at Davis, although Rippon did not earn a degree there. An aunt, Ruth Rippon, was instrumental in leading Tom Rippon to a career in ceramics.
Public Collections to Display:
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, California
Missoula Art Museum, Missoula, Montana
Montana Museum of Art and Culture, Missoula, Montana
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, California
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Renwick Gallery, Washington, DC
Yellowstone Art Museum, Billings, Montana
Bibliography to Display:
Lauria, Jo. Color and Fire, Defining Moments in Studio Ceramics, 1950-2000. Los Angeles, CA: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2000.
Levin, Elaine. The History of American Ceramics from Pipkins and Bean Pots to Contemporary Forms, 1607 to the Present. New York, NY: Harry N. Abrams, 1988.
Lynn, Martha Drexler. American Studio Ceramics: Innovation and Identity, 1940-1979. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2015.
Petersen, Susan. Contemporary Ceramics, New York, NY: Watson-Guptill, 2000.
Taragin, Davira S. Contemporary Crafts and the Saxe Collection. Manchester, VT: Hudson Hills Press, 1993.
Typical Marks
Form: Sculpture
Method: Hand Built
Surface Technique: Stain, Wax Resist
Photo: John Polak
Judith and Martin Schwartz Collection
Form: Mural
Materials: Shards, Mixed Media
Method: Mosaic
Surface Technique: Glaze
Three Ladies
Carrot Man
Materials: Porcelain
Surface Technique: Glaze, Wax Resist
Still Life with Flagon on a Checker Board
Method: Thrown, Hand Built
E. John Bullard Collection
Citation: "The Marks Project." Last modified October 17, 2019. http://themarksproject.org:443/marks/rippon
Missoula, Montana, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Arts/Industry