“In the 1950s, the wheel was seen as the source of the greatest freedom, but that was probably linked to its view as a device to churn out pots,” says Welch.
Welch points out the potential for innovation that the wheel ushered in. “In the 1950s, the wheel was seen as the source of the greatest freedom, but that was probably linked to its view as a device to churn out pots,” says Welch. “So using it to [experiment] was all the more glorious.” The Haas Brothers continue to utilize the wheel to create forms that elicit the curiosities of sexuality, psychedelia, intimacy, and nature—and to comment on contemporary culture as a whole. Strange, quirky, lush, and erotic, the objects created by the L.A.-based twins manifest a wide range of sensations, materials, and techniques. It’s their “Unique, Hand-thrown” works particularly, however, that convey a certain timelessness, suggesting methods of the past.