The Mad Potter: George E. Ohr, Eccentric Genius by Jan Greenberg
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Alternating between primary source photos and art photos of Ohr's pottery made this an engaging visual experience. The story of the crazy artist being ahead of his time is typical, but still fun to read. And this version put an American twist on it (not the Van Gogh-ish European story we're so used to).
If you ask me, Ohr's biggest marketing mistake was putting too much stuff on display--the display was the spectacle people came to see, and when they had seen it they felt no need to buy anything. He was shrewd enough to warehouse everything after he retired for his kids' sakes. But maybe if he had only shown 1-2 pieces at a time, he would have created an economy of scarcity (but maybe not).
In a lot of ways this was like reading an extended telling of an Antiques Roadshow backstory. Really fun and also sad to contemplate how greatly influential work comes from unrecognized artists, not appreciated in their time.
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