Posts tagged ‘1980s’

May 6

Auction Watch 2018.2 – Dorothy Hafner’s “Flash”

The amazing dinner setting in this post just popped up in my email and took my breath away. It is part of a large “Design from the 20th Century” auction at Lauritz.com starting on May 6th.

It is of course the now iconic Rosenthal design “Flash”.

“Flash” was designed by Dorothy Hafner for Rosenthal in 1982 (released 1984) and quickly became an 80’s iconic design…and seems to be currently attracting a whole new audience.

Dorothy Hafner is an American painter and sculptor who started her career in ceramics in 1973 after training as a painter and sculptor. She designed a number of dinnerware designs for Rosenthal including “Tango”, “New Wave”, “Suomi Day and Night” as well as the stunning “Chevron” design for Tiffany.

The influences cited on Dorothy’s website are:

“The poetry of the sea, the marvel of outer space and scientific imagery, and the love of music and dance are the inspirational springboards from which from Hafner has worked for over 30 years”

Like all dinnerware services, the visual power and presence of a service when seen together like this is so much more impressive, and gives us an insight into the design process and creativity of its creator.

The estimated price for this dinner set is EUR 1300. It will be interesting to watch what it sells for.

Rosenthal “Flash” Dorothy Hafner. Photo Lauritz.com

Nov 26

Rhonda Boehm, Barossa Valley, South Australia 1980s

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Rhonda Boehm, Barossa Valley, Australia

Rhonda Boehm, Barossa Valley, South Australia

From time to time I come across lovely stoneware fired pieces by local potter Rhonda Boehm.

Rhonda Boehm (b ? – d 2005) worked from a studio in the Barossa Valley, South Australia – and was most active during the 1980s.

Her work has a distinctive and honest quality to it – and is most often in muted mushroom pinks and bluish greys. Rhonda specialised in coloured clay slips and dry glazes over a carved whitish coloured clay body. Pieces were glazed on the inside with a clear glaze most often.

Some works have a botanical design, and others have precise and geometric patterns carved into the stoneware fired clay. There is something reminiscent of the hues of the Australian sunset and landscape in Rhonda’s use of colour and design.

The images below are pieces by Rhonda which have passed through my hands over the years.

The information quoted below is from the ever growing and hugely informative Australian Pottery >1960s Website and associated pages by Judith Pearce.

Rhonda Boehm ( -2005) owned a hairdressing salon in Nuriootpa, SA, before taking up pottery in the early 1970s under her married name, Rhonda Longbottom. She completed a ceramics course…. and set up a studio in the caretakers’ cottage of an old stone winery she renovated with her husband in Tanunda, SA. She also ran a successful gallery in the main building and was an active member of the Potters’ Guild of SA. In the mid-1980s, she divorced and began practicing under her maiden name. Work produced before her divorce is incised ‘Rhonda Longbottom’ or impressed ‘RL’ with the R inside the angle of the L. Work made after is impressed ‘RB’ with the R reversed. Some pieces may also have an impressed kangaroo. Others may be incised ‘Boehm’.

Sep 27

Inkeri Leivo – Arabia Finland – Pudas Arctica

The design featured here is “Pudas Arctica” by Inkeri Leivo (1944-2010), which is a variation of her now 20th Century design classic “Arctica” – which is still in production today.

The design for Arctica began in 1975 and was in production by 1979. Pudas Arctica was in production up until c1981.

Arctica has continued to evolve, with new variations even now still being added by current designers.

Arctica was designed as a large dinner service including baking dishes, tureen etc. The design featured a slimmer and more elegant profile than previous Arabia designs due to new technologies.

The roundness of the design while being very contemporary, also alludes to the elegant forms of the 1930’s Art Deco era.

Inkeri had began her career in Arabia in 1971, and her clean, light and graceful designs were a change from the heavier forms coming out of Arabia Finland in the 1970s. Amongst others, Inkeri also designed the popular “Saaristo”, “Kombi” “Harlekiini” & “Uhtua” lines.