A graduate of the Cleveland School of Art in 1928, Paul Bogatay sought to elevate the status of ceramic sculpture which, at the time, was held in lower regard than works of stone or bronze. From 1929 to 1930 he worked for Cowan Pottery in Ohio, where he designed production vases and sculptures, as well as unique works in stoneware. He became one of a cadre of artists and craftsmen known as the Cleveland School, whose overarching aim was to support and grow the arts in the Cleveland area.
After the closure of Cowan in 1931 due to the Great Depression, Bogatay went on to work at the Ohio State University where he would become a professor of ceramics and remaining on the faculty until his retirement in 1970. The present work, made just a few years after his time at Cowan, reflects his artistic approach to the medium. Bogatay treated the surface as any painter would a canvas, executing a dynamic scene of polo players atop their mounts using the ancient technique of cuerda seca, which further emphasizes both its graphic qualities and the natural, earthy beauty of clay.
Seymour Stein is co-founder and Chairman of Sire Records, one of the world’s most influential record labels and home to some of the most iconic artists in modern music. He has been Sire’s driving visionary and creative force since its origins in the 1960s as an independent label and its four-decade tenure as part of Warner Music Group. His unique ability to anticipate musical trends, and to discover and sign the greatest artists within those movements, has left an indelible mark on contemporary culture.
It was in 1955, when he was just 13 years old, that Stein was granted access to the Billboard archives, where he painstakingly transcribed two decades of charts, developing his encyclopedic memory of songs. After high school, he joined the Billboard staff, then worked for King Records and Red Bird Records. He and producer Richard Gottehrer launched Sire Records in 1967.
Stein first saw the Ramones in 1975 and, as he said, “It was like sticking my hand in a live electric light socket.” The band’s first album was released by Sire in 1976. It remains one of the seminal recordings in rock and roll history. Stein put New Wave music – a term he coined – on the mainstream map with the likes of Talking Heads and the Pretenders. And in a moment that has become a permanent part of music industry lore, Stein signed a young artist named Madonna while he was in the hospital recuperating from a heart infection. Over the years, Sire’s roster has included other cutting-edge artists such as Tom Tom Club, Depeche Mode, The Smiths, The Cure, Ice-T, k.d. lang, Seal, Everything But The Girl, Aztec Camera, Dinosaur Jr., Wilco, My Bloody Valentine, Primal Scream, Aphex Twin, Spacehog, Regina Spektor, Tegan & Sara, and many more. Stein was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005.
In addition to his myriad musical pursuits, Stein developed an impeccable eye for fine and decorative art. His particular love for Art Deco and Art Nouveau design began during his many trips to London and Paris while on the hunt for new bands to sign. With the guidance of his long-time curator and adviser Rodney Richardson, Stein procured only the best examples of ceramics, paintings, drawings, and furniture he could find. We are thrilled to present works from his extraordinary collection and are grateful to him and Rodney for their help, warmth, and good humor.
