Stan Bitters

About Stan Bitters

During the 1950s and 1960s, the bold character of California’s vibrant ceramics scene took shape thanks to a group of groundbreaking artists who elevated what was once considered a mere craft to fine art. The California Clay Movement soon gave rise to such luminaries as Ken Price, Viola Frey, and Stan Bitters, who defied convention by playing with scale, abstraction, and sculptural forms, rightfully earning coveted spots in galleries and fine art institutions. Stan’s work has achieved international recognition and is a staple in many modern design and art shows. “He has to be considered part of the funk generation of California artist-craftsmen from the ‘60s and ‘70s,” says Gerard O’Brien of Reform Gallery in Los Angeles. In 1957, Stan Bitters was a fine art student at Otis Art School who roomed with a classmate and subsequent acclaimed artist John Baldessari in Los Angeles. The mentorship of breakthrough ceramic artist Peter Voulkos together with the principles of Art in Action would have a formative influence on Stan’s approach. After graduation, he became artist-in-residence at the Hans Sumpf Co. in Madera, California where he was given complete creative freedom. It was during this time that some of his most iconic pieces were created. His work was also included in the famed Pasadena Art Museum’s California Design exhibits Eight (1962), Nine (1965), and Ten (1968).

He struck out on his own in 1965, and in 1976 he authored Environmental Ceramics a book about his artistic process. Stan’s influence has been present in the language of California architecture and his recent commissions in Los Angeles can be seen at the Westfield Century City Mall. The New York Times noted in 2014 that Bitters is often listed as an established master in the organic Modernist craft movement of the 1960s. Among collectors, Stan is also recognized for his terra cotta birdhouse, rock stack fountains, and for whimsical forms bearing names like “Haniwah”, “Tree Snakes” and “Sun People”. Stan’s sculptures have been featured in numerous design publications, and can still be experienced in public spaces, banks, hotels, schools, churches, industrial complexes, and private residences. His work is ripe for rediscovery, says Brook Hodge, curator of Architecture and Design at MOCA: “It’s more organic and earthy than the sleek forms of architectural pottery and feels connected to the Mexican tradition of terra cotta, which complements all the Spanish architecture of Southern California.” In the early 2000’s a new generation of architects at Commune Design commissioned several large-scale works for the Ace Hotel in Palm Springs. Soon after, the word spread to young design enthusiasts who were inspired by Stan’s radical and brutalist forms. The story of Stan Bitters will be showcased in the upcoming documentary film titled ” Stan Bitters Ask the Dust.”