Eric Norstad
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Eric Norstad (1924–2013) was an American potter and architect who worked primarily on the west coast of the United States.


Biography


Early life and education

Norstad was born in
Valhalla, New York Valhalla ( ) is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) within the town of Mount Pleasant, in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the New York City metropolitan area. Its population was 3,162 at the 2010 U.S. Census. The name wa ...
, the youngest of four children to Magnus Norstad, a
Norwegian American Norwegian Americans () are Americans with ancestral roots in Norway. Norwegian immigrants went to the United States primarily in the latter half of the 19th century and the first few decades of the 20th century. There are more than 4.5 milli ...
commercial artist who painted magazine covers and oils of western scenes, and Lillian Rosland, a
Swedish American Swedish Americans () are Americans of Swedish descent. The history of Swedish Americans dates back to the early colonial times, with notable migration waves occurring in the 19th and early 20th centuries and approximately 1.2 million arrivi ...
miniature dried flower artist. Magnus and Lillian met in
Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...
where they both worked at an advertising agency. During
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
Norstad was drafted into the
Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
and served in Egypt. Following the war, he moved with his parents to
San Bernardino County San Bernardino County ( ), officially the County of San Bernardino and sometimes abbreviated as S.B. County, is a county located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of California, and is located within the Inland Empire area. As of th ...
in Southern California. In 1951 Norstad enrolled at the
University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a Public university, public research university in Eugene, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1876, the university is organized into nine colleges and schools and offers 420 undergraduate and gra ...
on the
GI Bill The G.I. Bill, formally the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, was a law that provided a range of benefits for some of the returning World War II veterans (commonly referred to as G.I.s). The original G.I. Bill expired in 1956, but the te ...
where he met Ruth Luebke, a
creative writing Creative writing is any writing that goes beyond the boundaries of normal professional, journalistic, academic, or technical forms of literature, typically identified by an emphasis on craft and technique, such as narrative structure, character ...
major. In 1953 Norstad and Luebke were wed. Norstad graduated with a degree in
architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructi ...
with a minor in
ceramics A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant, and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porce ...
. In 1955 their first of four children was born.


Career

Post graduation Norstad was offered work as a
draftsman A drafter (also draughtsman / draughtswoman in British and Commonwealth English, draftsman / draftswoman, drafting technician, or CAD technician in American and Canadian English) is an engineering technician who makes detailed technical drawi ...
at Harmon, Prey, and Detrich, an architecture firm in Seattle, Washington. In order to subsidize his career as an aspiring architect Norstad began making
stoneware Stoneware is a broad class of pottery fired at a relatively high temperature, to be impervious to water. A modern definition is a Vitrification#Ceramics, vitreous or semi-vitreous ceramic made primarily from stoneware clay or non-refractory fire ...
pottery. In 1957 Norstad was the recipient of a
The Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation The Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation was founded in 1918 by Louis Comfort Tiffany to operate his estate, Laurelton Hall, in Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island. It was designed to be a summer retreat for artists and craftspeople. In 1946 the estate ...
grant, which enabled him to build a small
kiln A kiln is a thermally insulated chamber, a type of oven, that produces temperatures sufficient to complete some process, such as hardening, drying, or Chemical Changes, chemical changes. Kilns have been used for millennia to turn objects m ...
and set up a pottery operation from their home. Many of Norstad's early patrons were fellow architects, artists, and classmates. Norstad started as a kitchen potter making mugs, jugs, bowls and plates. In the late 1950s Norstad began judging state fairs and pottery shows and teaching workshops through the Association of Clay and Glass Artists of California. In 1959, Norstad moved his growing family to
Marin County, California Marin County ( ) is a County (United States), county located in the northwestern part of the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 262,231. Its county seat a ...
. He built a kiln in the basement of their new home and began selling pots at street fairs and at word of mouth home pottery sales. In 1960 Norstad was asked to join architects
Warren Callister Charles Warren Callister (February 27, 1917 – April 3, 2008) was an American architect based in Tiburon, California. He is known for the hand-crafted aesthetic and high-level design of his single-family homes and large community developments. C ...
and Jack Payne as an architect at their firm Callister and Payne in
Tiburon, California Tiburon ( ; , ) is an incorporated town in Marin County, California. It is located on the Tiburon Peninsula, which reaches south into the San Francisco Bay. It shares a ZIP code (94920) with the smaller incorporated city of Belvedere (formerly ...
. Norstad worked on multiple residential projects in Northern California while continuing to make ceramics on the side. Soon Callister and other architects began commissioning unique ceramic pieces from Norstad such as fireplace fronts, chimney pots, large planter pots, and decorative relief murals. In 1962, Norstad left Callister and Payne, and opened Norstad Pottery building a larger kiln on their property. Norstad credits much of his success to the right time and place. The 1960s American craft movement was taking off and individual artists were able to make a living. With business booming Norstad hired other potters to help with production, including Toru Hasegawa, Jack Sears, and Michael Campbell to help with production. During the 1970s, Christopher Westfal, Wynn Hayakawa, Conrad Calimpong, Danny Goodman, and Gary Beaver worked some years in the basement studio. In 1975, Norstad Pottery moved to a 3,000 square foot studio in
Sausalito, California Sausalito ( Spanish for "small willow grove") is a city in Marin County, California, United States, located southeast of Marin City, south-southeast of San Rafael, and about north of San Francisco from the Golden Gate Bridge. Sausalito's ...
. Christopher Westfal, Conrad Calimpong, Danny Goodman, Taylor Maize, and Gary Beaver worked in the pottery during the transition to the Schoonmaker Building in Sausalito. In 1976 Ruth Norstad opened a retail storefront on Bridgeway Avenue with an emphasis on the basins. The line of pottery continued to expand with stoneware kitchen and bathroom sinks proving very popular. Later they opened a store in
Carmel, California Carmel-by-the-Sea (), commonly known simply as Carmel, is a city in Monterey County, California, located on the Central Coast of California. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 3,220, down from 3,722 a ...
. In 1982, Norstad designed an 8,000 square foot pottery which was built in
Richmond, California Richmond is a city in western Contra Costa County, California, United States. The city was municipal corporation, incorporated on August 3, 1905, and has a Richmond, California, City Council, city council.
with the help of his three sons, his son in-law, and their friends. Norstad Pottery operated from the Richmond location until Eric Norstad retired in 1998.


Influences and techniques

Norstad credits artists
Peter Voulkos Peter Voulkos (born Panagiotis Harry Voulkos; 29 January 1924 – 16 February 2002) was an American artist of Greek descent. He is known for his abstract expressionist ceramic sculptures, which crossed the traditional divide between ceramic c ...
,
Bernard Leach Bernard Howell Leach (5 January 1887 – 6 May 1979) was a British studio potter and art teacher. He is regarded as the "Father of British studio pottery". Biography Early years (Japan) Leach was born in Hong Kong. His mother Eleanor (n ...
,
Shoji Hamada A is a door, window or room divider used in traditional Japanese architecture, consisting of translucent (or transparent) sheets on a lattice frame. Where light transmission is not needed, the similar but opaque '' fusuma'' is used (/close ...
and his parents as influences, as well as clean, functional
Scandinavian design Scandinavian design is a design movement characterized by simplicity, minimalism and functionality that emerged in the early 20th century, and subsequently flourished in the 1950s throughout the five Nordic countries: Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sw ...
of the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. The
stoneware Stoneware is a broad class of pottery fired at a relatively high temperature, to be impervious to water. A modern definition is a Vitrification#Ceramics, vitreous or semi-vitreous ceramic made primarily from stoneware clay or non-refractory fire ...
clay that Norstad Pottery mixed was a combination of Kentucky ball clay, California fire clay, and grog- a sand like material. When fired the pieces vitrified into an extremely hard, dense, non-porous material. The mixture was thrown into an old commercial dough mixer with water and the finished batch turned out into plaster trays to age and lose moisture. The clay was then driven through a pug mill, which compresses it and extrudes long plugs of finished clay that is thrown into pots on a wheel. Some clay is rolled into slabs and draped over plaster molds. This treatment, called "jiggering" is a time honored method of producing many pots that are identical. Norstad pots were most noted by their distinctive glazes, often with markings in a Japanese style Sumi-e brushwork. In earlier pieces relief features or decorated carvings were added to the pots. Fired to for 24 hours with high-fire glazes resulted in a smooth, impervious, and very durable finish, resistant to scratching, chipping, and cracks. Norstad pottery is recognizable by several design elements: a strong lip, or rim; graceful, symmetrical shapes and glazes, mostly earth tones, that are accented by brushwork of stylized fish or other animals, leafy stencils, and abstract glazed patterns. Although some of his work, such as his porcelain, is extremely light and graceful, most of it is sturdy and utilitarian: dinnerware, vases, lamp bases and sinks. Norstad ceramic sinks were tested and approved under the
Uniform Plumbing Code Designated as an American National Standard, the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) is a model code developed by the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials ( IAPMO) to govern the installation and inspection of plumbing system ...
by the International Association of Plumbing Officials. The basins were hand thrown inside spinning plaster molds which insured a good degree of uniformity. The mold formed the outside of the basin and the inside is hand crafted.


Patrons and exhibits

The City of Sausalito commissioned Norstad to make a large drinking fountain in honor of former San Francisco
Madam Madam (), or madame ( or ), is a polite and formal form of address for Woman, women in the English language, often contracted to ma'am (pronounced in American English and this way but also in British English). The term derives from the French la ...
and Sausalito Mayor Sally Stanford. The unusual historic landmark is on the waterfront between the Hotel Sausalito and the Sausalito Yacht Club. It is inscribed with "Have a drink on Sally" and has a runoff for the water leading to a long knee level basin that reads "Have a drink on Leland" in honor of Stanford's beloved dog.
Harrah's Lake Tahoe Harrah's Lake Tahoe is a hotel and casino in Stateline, Nevada. Harrah's is branded with the name of its former owner and operator, William F. Harrah. It is owned by Vici Properties and operated by Eldorado Resorts, Caesars Entertainment. The 18- ...
Hotel commissioned a huge relief mural of
Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada ( ) is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primari ...
scenery. A New Mexico hotel commissioned 695 lamp bases. The City of San Francisco commissioned a ceramic plaque honoring
Mary Ellen Pleasant Mary Ellen Pleasant (August 19, 1814 – January 11, 1904) was an American entrepreneur, financier, real estate magnate and abolitionist. She was arguably the first self-made millionaire of African-American heritage, preceding Madam C. J. Walke ...
who ran the San Francisco terminus of The Underground Railway and was also a madam. Lark Creek Inn in
Larkspur, California Larkspur is a city in Marin County, California, Marin County, California, United States. Larkspur is located directly south of Kentfield, California, Kentfield and south of San Rafael, California, San Rafael, at an elevation of . As of the 2 ...
commissioned hundreds of serving platters and plates. Norstad pots are in the permanent collection at the
Portland Art Museum The Portland Art Museum (PAM) is an art museum in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. The Portland Art Museum has 240,000 square feet (22,000 m2), with more than 112,000 square feet (10,400 m2) of gallery space. The museum’s permanent c ...
. Norstad's first one-man show was held in 1954 at the Contemporary Crafts Gallery in
Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...
. Oakland Museum of California has an Eric Norstad decorative plate in their collection. Norstad was featured at the Texas A&M International University's Helen Richter Watson Gallery


Awards and permanent collections

1954, 1962, 1964, 1966- Syracuse Nationals
1957- recipient of
The Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation The Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation was founded in 1918 by Louis Comfort Tiffany to operate his estate, Laurelton Hall, in Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island. It was designed to be a summer retreat for artists and craftspeople. In 1946 the estate ...
Grant
1990- recipient of Living Treasure Award Oakland Museum of California
Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art
Sausalito Ferry Building


References


External links


Digital.lib.washington.eduLouiscomforttiffanyfoundation.orgBooks.google.comBooks.google.comJsmacollection.uoregon.edu

Worthpoint.comLegacy.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Norstad, Eric University of Oregon alumni 1924 births 2013 deaths People from San Bernardino County, California People from Sausalito, California People from Valhalla, New York Artists from the San Francisco Bay Area People from Richmond, California