For thousands of years, ceramic art has marked the progress of civilization. Shaped by human hands and tools, fired clay withstands the test of time. Its strength and low maintenance demands are perfect for architecture and functional applications. Contemporary Florida-based ceramics atelier Architectural Ceramics creates art at the edge of environment and landscape. Founded in 1981 by artist Elle Leonard Dean, AC makes site-specific commissions in clay for public, private, and corporate clients. At once painterly and organic, detailed and profoundly technical, Architectural Ceramics’ work is a true extension of their clients’ vision handled with care, ingenuity, and decades of deep work with clay.
Founding artist Elle fell in love with ceramics by way of apprenticeship following art school. She was drawn to its simplicity, feel, versatility, and functional qualities, as well as the way it creates human connections. Leonard remains the front person working with designers and architects to add architectural ceramics to their vision. Her drawings and designs are fleshed out in-studio with husband and partner Charles Dean, acting as fellow designing sculptor. Dean spent years in Detroit’s auto industry creating models in plasticine clay for GM Design. There he interpreted and enhanced the vision of designers through technical prowess, much like what he does with Architectural Ceramics. The technology he brings to AC pushes the sculptural capacity of the work, while Elle’s decades of hands-on experience with large-scale commissions guides the company’s overall artistic vision. Each artist maintains an independent studio practice, exhibiting research in materials and technology, landscape and history.
The artists' deep love of nature and clay come together to transform site into place, and place
into gathering. “Florida Primeval” is a 10 x 10 x 2 ft heavily sculpted fireplace completed in 2023.
A mix of earth tones, organic patterns, implied light and shade give this jungle relief sculpture a
sense of archetypal emergence. It acts as a central focal point for two sides of the house,
merging with the adjoining patio and bay view. The elements of open air, the surrounding water,
the clay transformed through fire, the fire it contains; it all speaks to the alchemy possible when
artist and client, vision and skill, transcend the sum of their parts.
As the Deans can attest to, work of this scale is complex. Clay has foundational rules that require care in construction, drying time, limited kiln space, multiple rounds of firing and glazing. Each piece is touched 9 times before it’s resolved, which in the case of “Florida Primeval” means nine times 365 pieces. Working to scale in a medium that accommodates shrinkage and often requires a fit down to an ⅛ of an inch is precise work. It demands authority and consistency to achieve reliable results and to extend beyond function into sophisticated artistry.
A true painterly vision, Architectural Ceramics’ custom tilework for the entryway to the Baths at Esalen Institute portrays a moving landscape with liquid falls, separating rock faces, with bathers picnicking along the sides. Ceramics makes possible the experience of ritual, communal bathing, and the cultural use of water to spiritually cleanse is perhaps reflected in the subtle keyhole shape of the falls and an overall reference to traditional eastern painting styles. Another beautiful representation of Architectural Ceramics’ portrayal of organic form is seen in the Gardenias at the SoHo Grove Cafe in Tampa, FL. The Deans created and installed three large gardenias (24”, 36”, and 48” wide), creating an outdoor backdrop for photo opportunities to enhance branding for this lively cafe and bar. The ceramic flowers are durable while appearing delicate, flowing, and full of life. The project showcases the artists’ ability to deliver on marketable goals while considering the surrounding environment as a whole composition.
Architectural Ceramics is a full-service studio that works primarily with the trade and provides a complete range of services from concept to fabrication and installation. Past work includes large private installations and municipal works, with clients such as: Tampa International Airport, Riverwalk Park, St. Petersburg-Clearwater Airport, Arvida Corporation, Worldgate Marriott Hotels, Kaiser Permanente, and Johns Hopkins Hospital. Elle has been doing large-scale commissions for 20 years. Charles joined the company 5 years ago, and the two have worked continuously on back-to-back projects ever since.
With technical nuance and a generous artistic heart, Architectural Ceramics takes on the emotional, practical, and aesthetic goals of the client, translating them into thoughtful, functional artworks so seamlessly integrated, it feels as if it was always there.
To see more work by Architectural Ceramics, check out their CODAworx profile.
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