My initiation into "fat lava" and "all things" ceramic, retro, antique, artistic, inspiring, creative and original!


My interest in West German Ceramics  and "fat lava" began by pure chance... but I shall explain more about that later....
 
Lets begin with a brief bit of background.
Being of a certain age, I managed to miss the whole 'sixties thing' by being at Primary School! My only recognition of the vibrance of that era was:
  • The clothes my mother bought for me.... Anoraks, well all my clothes, with loud swirly oranges, reds, and yellows or blues, purples, and turquoises
  • The wallpaper in our kitchen, that changed almost weekly
  • The curtains in our home, beautiful blue and white horse designs, large orange flowers
  • My brother's bedroom, yellow paint and black and white wallpaper
Once started, it all comes flooding back to me!
But it must have subconsciously filtered through my being, as my own artwork either  through painting or by decorating pottery all show strong influences from the past, be it the sixties or seventies, where the exuberance of colour and design continued.
 
Now let's get back to West German Ceramics (some pieces have been known as "fat lava")... I am addicted, I love all of it, some more than others and my collection is huge!
The recognition of these majestic pieces of work, from West  Germany began as I say from pure chance. Many years ago we were given as a gift, a piece of West German Pottery. It was the most beautiful plate, with a pink rose on a vibrant green background that was designed to look like a leaf. This gift came off the wall when the house was sold and only then did I take a proper look.
And that is how it all started! I still don't know anything about this plate but through research, I've found West German Ceramics and the term "fat lava".
*fat lava*     *fat lava*     *fat lava*
 
To those who are new to the word "fat lava" it seems to originate, (or so I've heard) from a misinterpretation in the translation of the German language concerning the glazes used. OR that may be just another "fat lava" myth?! All theories welcome.
 
Some of the more textured, cratered pieces really do look like the fat lava that dripped and ran from an erupting volcano! Just look at the colours and the techniques that these artists used to glaze each item. Not only did these extraordinary glazes, poisonous mixtures at times, erupt, drip and bubble at such high temperatures in the kilns but this movement was frozen in time once the ceramics had cooled. (As you can see that not all West German Ceramics have  "fat lava" qualities.)
 
Hence, the emergence fat lava lady...
 
Stylish, eccentric, elegant, bizarre, bold, outrageous, gaudy, glorious, hideous, vibrant, garish, loud, earthy, silky, organic, rough
FUN
Whatever your choice of description for these pieces
 please, enjoy, and buy if you wish from fatlavalady.com