Andrew Raftery

Humans must live in harmony with the cycles and seasons of nature to succeed. RISD printmaking professor Andrew Raftery, a skilled gardener and avid English transferware collector, chronicled his monthly activities in his mother’s garden in Providence, beginning with seed selection in January, fertilizing in July, and contemplating the dormant garden beneath the snow in December.

Raftery created images, engraved them onto copper plates, designed the 12 plate shapes, and developed the ink used to transfer the image from the copper to the ceramic. He then collaborated with the late Larry Bush, RISD Ceramic Department professor, to develop a new clay body, formulate the glaze, and fire the plates with a team of students.

–Elizabeth A. Williams, David and Peggy Rockefeller Curator of Decorative Arts and Design