Albert THIRY (1932-2009) - Lot 107

Albert THIRY (1932-2009) Circular bowl Enameled stoneware proof with central engraved decoration of an ibex surrounded by radiating palmettes, the sides of the bowl surrounded by enameled drips Signed under the base Diameter: 22.6 cm (Worn enamel) NOTICE Albert Thiry (1932-2009) is a leading French ceramist of the second half of the 20th century, whose work is deeply rooted in the aesthetics of Vallauris, the village he joined in 1955. He belongs to the generation of ceramists who, like Jean Derval and Roger Capron, revitalized French ceramics by fusing folk art and modernity. Thiry quickly made a name for himself with his creations, often featuring naïve, colorful motifs influenced by nature and folklore. Before settling in Vallauris, he began his ceramic career in Cluny, where he learned traditional pottery techniques. On arriving in Vallauris, Thiry befriended influential figures such as Robert Picault and Gustave Reynaud, who influenced his approach to utilitarian as well as artistic ceramics. His pieces, often decorative vases, plates and dishes, are characterized by stylized motifs depicting animals, human figures and rural scenes, always in vivid, expressive tones. Inspired by folk art and the decorative arts, Thiry follows a tradition of simplicity and spontaneity, while renewing forms and motifs with a personal touch that becomes his signature. Over the decades, Albert Thiry developed a prolific output in his own workshop, while remaining true to his distinctive style. Like his contemporaries Jacques Innocenti and Gilbert Portanier, Thiry contributed to the revival of art ceramics in Vallauris, incorporating innovative glazing techniques and forms that reinvented utilitarian art into works of art in their own right. In addition to ceramics, he also explored sculpture and other art forms, but it was his decorative pottery that left a lasting imprint on the history of French ceramics.