Blues+Heavy Metal

I have a strong affinity for the color blue, whether it be in indigo textiles or cobalt in ceramics and porcelain. The use of blue in paintings on white porcelain is attributed to cobalt being the sole ceramic pigment capable of enduring the high temperatures of porcelain firing. In contrast, additional colors require a third firing for the application of "enamels." The introduction of cobalt pigment to China is believed to have occurred through the Silk Road from Persia, with exquisite instances of Blue and White porcelain from ancient China on display at the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul. That was my first ever flight and study trip with the ceramic department from Art University Linz in 1975.