Take the mystery out of art history
 
Earl - "Cloud Man" Clay sculpture of man in red shirt with puffy cloud on his head
 
 

Jack Earl • American: B: 1934

Cloud Man C: 2007 • Clay 37” x 19” x 13”

Had famed American humorist, Will Rogers, been an artist, his work would likely have resembled Jack Earl’s. Both men have (or had in Roger’s case) the quick-to-the-point ability of skilled social commentators. They didn’t waste words -- or clay -- to memorably make their point.

Where Rogers opined, “A politician is not as narrow-minded as he forces himself to be,” Jack Earl found a similarly memorable way to depict a small town Ohio neighbor who, shall we say, lacked practicality. Say hello to Cloud Man. 

Being disarmingly direct is a great skill in any medium.

In many ways, Jack Earl owes an artistic debt to Viktor Schreckengost (ARTe 7.23), the first American artist to treat ceramics as an art form. But, where the industrial designer, Schreckengost, used art to improve the lives of everyday people, Earl used art to illuminate their lives.

“I like things that when you look at them, you know they were made by people, living somewhere … and having personal thoughts, personal lives, families, maybe friends.”

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Earl, a teacher at the University of Toledo. was heavily influenced by the European figurative ceramics, he discovered in books at the university library. These figurines were manufactured at Meissen, Germany and had a Rococo, Watteau-like quality to their delicately painted and glazed surfaces. 

Earl gave these porcelain figurines a 20th century flair and replaced aristocratic subjects with his beloved small town Ohio neighbors and friends.

Mix the communications skills of Will Rogers with the delicate porcelain art of 18th century Germany, and the restless curiosity of Viktor Schreckengost. Mix in a generous dollop of good Ohio clay, and you have Jack Earl … an Ohio original. On view at the Canton Museum of Art, of course.

Canton Museum of Art Permanent Collection • Purchased by the Canton Museum of Art, 2010.16

 
 

4 Ways to Sound Smart When Viewing at The Canton Museum of Art

1.
“The porcelain finish on this work was inspired by porcelain figurines popular in Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries.”

2.
“He once said ‘I create art to sell. If it doesn’t sell I’ve got better things to do with my time.’ He’s got a heart for art and a head for business.”

3.
“Jack Earl had his first major breakthrough when one of his porcelain pieces was selected for an exhibit that travelled across America from 1969-71. It was titled: “Objects USA.”

4.
“Earl attended the same Wapakoneta, Ohio, high school as Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon. Coincidence??”

 
 

Earl Timeline. Scroll over images to see timeline.