Portrait Photography by Christiaan Blok Ceramist Don Reitz stands next to a black clay sculpture titled Teastack that measures 39" x 23". It features a low-fire salt-glaze finish.

Ceramist Don Reitz Creates Sculptures That Reflect Earthy Influences


Ceramist Don Reitz will tell you that although some events in his life seem to have happened unintentionally, the foundation for his decisions was laid well ahead of time.

The Clarkdale, Arizona, resident remembers a pivotal moment as a young man in New Jersey when he decided to quit his job as a butcher, follow his passion and get a degree in art education: A regular customer came into the shop and complained about the price of a bone-in cut of meat. Reitz, who had been contemplating buying the business, but was having doubts because his interest in painting was becoming more than a hobby, saw the irritating moment as an opportunity. He quit on the spot and declared he was going to college.
 
Over his 80 years of life, Reitz has accrued several such stories, which also underscore the well-planned yet seemingly random appearance of his clay pieces.

Photography of sculptures by Jeff Bruse This floor-standing piece, Oval Sculpture, 54" x 16" x 9", was wood-fired in an anagama kiln. The artist is known for both his salt-glazed and his wood-fired techniques.

The artist favors two types of firing techniques—salt-glazing, which results in a glossy, shimmery mix of iridescent and metallic colors, and wood-firing, which produces ceramics featuring blends of rich, earthy tones. His designs are organic in shape and range from platters and vessels to wall-hung pieces and floor-standing sculptures.

Reitz explains that he has long been drawn to nature and the beauty it creates. This appreciation began as a child growing up during the Depression era in the small town of Belvidere, New Jersey, when emphasis was placed on making the most of what was available and what could be produced by hand. “I learned to have a frugal attitude and that work is a good thing,” he recalls. “I was always in touch with the physical world.” His childhood included such activities as farming, hunting and fishing.
 
After high school, he joined the Navy, became a deep-sea salvage diver and, upon his return to the East Coast, had an experience that further impacted his views of nature and life: He spent a year in the Canadian wilderness living with an Algonquin chief named Charlie. Here, Reitz learned survival techniques and how to appreciate the power and splendor of the world.
 

Platter, 24" in diameter, anagama wood-fired

Reitz says that what influenced him the most during this period was the impression Charlie—whom he calls one of his greatest mentors—made on his approach to life, and later to his art. “He said, ‘Your eyes are like windows, and everything you see goes down your stomach to digest. It comes up and through your heart and out your hands.’”
 
Not long after this experience, Reitz began painting, and after quitting his job as a butcher, made the decision to pursue a bachelor’s degree in art education at Kutztown State Teachers College (now Kutztown University of Pennsylvania).

Reitz was introduced to ceramics while in school and instantly became attracted to the tactile aspects of the medium. After graduating and teaching for a few years, the artist attended Alfred University in New York, where he received his master of fine arts degree with a specialization in ceramics. A move to the Midwest to teach ceramics at University of Wisconsin-Madison followed. During his 25-plus year tenure at the school, Reitz was an integral figure in America’s mid-20th century contemporary salt-glazing movement.