Heath Ceramics

Edith Heath, an indomitable innovator in her field, developed her iconic Coupe dinnerware line with a distinctly California aesthetic. She fine-tuned every aspect of her studio, from the chemical properties of her material and proprietary low-fire glazing techniques, to the architecture of her Sausalito, California factory. 

I interviewed artist Brendan Monroe when he was in residence at the Heath Factory in San Francisco. Tell me about his project and other highlights from your artist collaborations.

Brendan did a lot of that work in San Francisco in Tung Chiang’s studio, which is an inspiring place in itself. Tung Chiang is Heath’s Clay Studio Director. To be able to walk in there every few days and see Brendan’s surreal ideas and forms take shape inspired us all. 

He didn’t have a deep background in ceramics at that time, and he took huge risks technically. His work is really time-intensive. At the time, we would be so stressed out that all that work would end in an explosion in the kiln, or some sort of glaze disaster, but it didn’t. Every piece felt like a well planned miracle. He’s not just an amazing artist, but really has an incredible intuition for ceramics.  

We’ve also done some small but wonderful projects in wood with Julian Watts. My favorite was a collaborative object that he did with Tung. Julian did a sculptural-like top for a vessel that Tung designed, and the mixture of textures and materials was stunning. 

What is one of Heath’s most remarkable architectural projects?

The Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, California is brilliant and totally intact. The entire exterior is clad in 9 x15” tiles layered with glaze, and all the corners on the building are curves. It is a beautiful intersection of beauty and function between the tile and architecture. 

As the soul of Heath Ceramics, what were Edith’s most memorable characteristics?

I didn't get to spend a lot of time with her personally.  She was quite old when we took over the business, so what I know comes from experiencing her ethos by working with the same materials and in the same environment she did. Robin and I work in Edith and Brian’s old office, with mostly the same furniture, the same clock; even our desk drawers are full of their things.

Edith was determined, innovative, persistent, and stubborn, and not likely to follow trends, which is one reason that Heath is still around, and most of the other potteries have disappeared. She believed that how the ware was made was integral to the design, and thus the company's success. Nothing has been outsourced to another manufacturer. She believed that if you made good, honest products, the product would sell itself. She also had a great personal style!

Tell me about the origins and make-up of the unique clay bodies she developed.

Heath’s proprietary clay body is the first and still remains the only ​low-fire stoneware—an innovation created in 1947 that still leads the industry. Our ceramic clay bodies require one firing, as opposed to the more typical two firings, and are fired at a lower temperature than is customarily used to reach the same levels of durability. By rebuilding our kilns in 2009, we increased our kiln capacity, allowing us to fire more tile per kiln, while at the same time, reducing gas consumption in each firing. 

Who are the other core team members carrying on Edith’s creative legacy?

Winnie Crittenden is Brian Heath’s niece and worked alongside Edith for years. She is a glaze technique expert. She now works closely with Tung Chiang, in his work at Heath Clay Studio and on any other other project where we need the highest level of craft in the work, or when we are experimenting with new ideas and concepts. She is a living and working treasure, and her creativity and passion for ceramics and glaze inspire us every day.