Ann Stokes

This is the first full-scale biographical and critical study of Ann Stokes (b.1922), the widow of the art critic Adrian Stokes and a highly unusual potter who creates bold, uninhibited works. Largely self-taught, Stokes took up pottery in the 1960s and immediately attracted interest within the art world - collectors included William Coldstream, Richard Wollheim, John Golding and David Sylvester. The appeal of Stokes' work is plain: her fascination with line and movement is seen in her expressive animals (crocodiles, birds and fish are among her ceramic fauna). Her sculptural pieces possess a physicality that reflects Stokes' love of nature and her continuing desire to capture the natural grace of her subjects, while her extraordinary output of plates shows her sensitivity as a painter and colourist. Stokes' work draws on many sources, from Mediterranean vernacular pottery to the work of Alfred Wallis to archaic Cretan ceramics. Beautifully illustrated and with three major essays, "Ann Stokes: Artists' Potter" is a must for art historians, collectors, decorative arts specialists and cultural historians alike.