MISSOULA (AP) Internationally known ceramic artist Rudy Autio, a founding resident artist at the Archie Bray Foundation in Helena and who taught ceramics at the University of Montana for 28 years, died Wednesday of leukemia. He was 80. Steve Glueckert, curator of the Missoula Art Museum, confirmed his death. Autio is best known for his torsoshaped ceramic vessels painted with figures and horses, but he has also done commissioned works such as wool tapestries with horses for the Reader's Digest Building in Helsinki, Finland, and the foyer of the Performing Arts Building at UM. "He really is one of the pre-eminent artists in Montana," said Bob Durden, curator of art at Paris Gibson Square in Great Falls. "Beyond that, Rudy became internationally famous for his contributions in the clay movement." Peter Held, of the Ceramic Research Center at the University of Arizona, interviewed Autio in January for a Web-based project for the Missoula Art Museum. "Rudy and his generation really broke new ground in the (ceramics) field," Held said. "For them, ceramics wasn't about making functional pots, it was about expressing themselves in unique ways." Durden said there was a contemporary, Western theme to Autio's work. "But the larger themes he drew upon are historical in nature. He drew a lot of influence from Greek vessels and Greek mythology in his work and combined that with the Western experience," Durden said. Glueckert said even though Autio was "kind of an international celebrity, he was accessible to people, and very supportive of people." Ken Little, who taught ceramics at UM with Autio from 1974-1980, said Autio was one of four giants of American ceramics. "If the ceramics world had a Mount Rushmore, it would be Peter Voulkos, Rudy, Paul Soldner and Don Reitz," said Little, who now works as a professor of ceramics at the University of Texas-San Antonio. "He was the Thomas Jefferson of Mount Rushmore." Little said Autio was a "genius" at finding the right balance between the craft and emotion of art, and helped him understand the need for both a left-brain and right-brain approach to teaching and creating. Little spent last weekend with the Autio, Autio's wife, Lela, and their children and grandchildren. He said Autio was at peace with his death, and the two spent a lot of time laughing and talking about old times. "We sang old cowboys songs," Little told the Missoulian newspaper. "He had a song he loved called 'Amelia Earhart' that he used to play for me on guitar. We sang that together, and basically I just tried to convey to him how important he had been to me and how much I loved him." Autio was born Arne Rudolf Autio on Oct. 8, 1926, in Butte, the son of a miner and a boarding house cook. He first learned to draw during evening classes offered by Works Progress Administration artists working in Butte. He served in the Navy for two years during World War II. Autio studied art at Montana State College in Bozeman and then earned a master of arts degree from Washington State University in Pullman, Wash. Autio, along with Peter Voulkos, was a founding resident artist of the Archie Bray Foundation. Voulkos also went on to national fame for his abstract ceramic pieces. In 1957, Autio started the ceramics department at the University of Montana, where he taught for 28 years. "He had many opportunities to leave the state and could have possibly had a greater career elsewhere, but I think he really was true to Montana," Held said. It was difficult to make a living as an artist in Montana, Held said, so Autio did commissioned public art, as well, including murals in several Montana cities and dioramas the Montana Historical Society. Durden said Autio has done work all over the world and is represented in most major contemporary art museums. "It would be hard to go anywhere in the country that has a serious ceramics collection and not see Rudy's work represented there," Durden said. Glueckert said every arts institution in the state will be touched and saddened by Autio's death. "I think that's just a testimony to his caring and his openness to people and his supportiveness of almost every institution in the state," Glueckert said. Memorial services are planned in both Missoula and Helena; however, details were not available late Wednesday.
Cermic artist Rudy Autio dies of leukemia at age 80
Published: Thursday, June 21st, 2007
MISSOULA (AP) Internationally known ceramic artist Rudy Autio, a founding resident artist at the Archie Bray Foundation in Helena and who taught ceramics at the University of Montana for 28 years, died Wednesday of leukemia. He was 80. Steve Glueckert, curator of the Missoula Art Museum, confirmed his death. Autio is best known for his torsoshaped ceramic vessels painted with figures and horses, but he has also done commissioned works such as wool tapestries with horses for the Reader's Digest Building in Helsinki, Finland, and the foyer of the Performing Arts Building at UM. "He really is one of the pre-eminent artists in Montana," said Bob Durden, curator of art at Paris Gibson Square in Great Falls. "Beyond that, Rudy became internationally famous for his contributions in the clay movement." Peter Held, of the Ceramic Research Center at the University of Arizona, interviewed Autio in January for a Web-based project for the Missoula Art Museum. "Rudy and his generation really broke new ground in the (ceramics) field," Held said. "For them, ceramics wasn't about making functional pots, it was about expressing themselves in unique ways." Durden said there was a contemporary, Western theme to Autio's work. "But the larger themes he drew upon are historical in nature. He drew a lot of influence from Greek vessels and Greek mythology in his work and combined that with the Western experience," Durden said. Glueckert said even though Autio was "kind of an international celebrity, he was accessible to people, and very supportive of people." Ken Little, who taught ceramics at UM with Autio from 1974-1980, said Autio was one of four giants of American ceramics. "If the ceramics world had a Mount Rushmore, it would be Peter Voulkos, Rudy, Paul Soldner and Don Reitz," said Little, who now works as a professor of ceramics at the University of Texas-San Antonio. "He was the Thomas Jefferson of Mount Rushmore." Little said Autio was a "genius" at finding the right balance between the craft and emotion of art, and helped him understand the need for both a left-brain and right-brain approach to teaching and creating. Little spent last weekend with the Autio, Autio's wife, Lela, and their children and grandchildren. He said Autio was at peace with his death, and the two spent a lot of time laughing and talking about old times. "We sang old cowboys songs," Little told the Missoulian newspaper. "He had a song he loved called 'Amelia Earhart' that he used to play for me on guitar. We sang that together, and basically I just tried to convey to him how important he had been to me and how much I loved him." Autio was born Arne Rudolf Autio on Oct. 8, 1926, in Butte, the son of a miner and a boarding house cook. He first learned to draw during evening classes offered by Works Progress Administration artists working in Butte. He served in the Navy for two years during World War II. Autio studied art at Montana State College in Bozeman and then earned a master of arts degree from Washington State University in Pullman, Wash. Autio, along with Peter Voulkos, was a founding resident artist of the Archie Bray Foundation. Voulkos also went on to national fame for his abstract ceramic pieces. In 1957, Autio started the ceramics department at the University of Montana, where he taught for 28 years. "He had many opportunities to leave the state and could have possibly had a greater career elsewhere, but I think he really was true to Montana," Held said. It was difficult to make a living as an artist in Montana, Held said, so Autio did commissioned public art, as well, including murals in several Montana cities and dioramas the Montana Historical Society. Durden said Autio has done work all over the world and is represented in most major contemporary art museums. "It would be hard to go anywhere in the country that has a serious ceramics collection and not see Rudy's work represented there," Durden said. Glueckert said every arts institution in the state will be touched and saddened by Autio's death. "I think that's just a testimony to his caring and his openness to people and his supportiveness of almost every institution in the state," Glueckert said. Memorial services are planned in both Missoula and Helena; however, details were not available late Wednesday.
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