Michael Frimkess
Michael Frimkess (born January 8, 1937) is an American ceramic artist who lives in Venice, California. In the 1950s and 60s, he was a pupil of Peter Voulkos, a prominent figure in the California Clay Movement. Frimkess' pottery is noted for its classical style, employing forms from Greek, Chinese, and Indigenous American antiquity. His wife and collaborator, Magdalena Suarez Frimkess, paints his ceramic pieces, often using anachronistic, contemporary images like Minnie Mouse or Condorito. He is also well-known for his innovative wheel-throwing and firing techniques. Early life and education Frimkess was born on January 8, 1937 in East Los Angeles, California. He grew up largely in the neighborhood of Boyle Heights and claimed (inaccurately) to have been among the last Jewish families in the area. His father, Lou Frimkess, was an artist and graphic designer. He was exposed to fine art early in his childhood, receiving drawing and sculpting lessons, and being taken to numerous museum exhibitions. Frimkess learned how to play the saxophone and piano in his youth and aspired to become a jazz musician. At age 15, his family moved to Hollywood and he would graduate from Hollywood High School two years later in 1955. In high school,