The water flowing from our household tap is such an everyday part of our lives that we sometimes take it for granted. Gordon Batten is out to change that. His extraordinary ceramic sinks elevate the simple act of hand washing to a sublime experience.
Inspired by the clean lines of modern architecture, Batten is raising the utilitarian bathroom sink to the level of sculptural art. "A lot of modern interiors are ‘gallery interiors’ in their relative sparseness of detail," Batten says. "In these spaces, the sink becomes the focal point of the room."
"Vessel" is the word he uses to describe the pieces that he creates in his Two Rivers Studio in Dillsboro. Located in a former general store a stone’s throw from the Tuckaseegee River, the studio houses a sleek showroom, as well as the huge kilns that fire the bowls and sinks Batten has been producing for the last 25 years.
"There is an element of depth to the vessel sinks that’s almost like looking into water," Batten says. "The act of using the sink adds another element — by introducing actual water, another layer of visual depth emerges."
Asian architecture intrigues Batten, as does the work of Frank Lloyd Wright and Charles Rennie Mackintosh. "I see Rennie Mackintosh as a westernized version of an eastern style — something I have always liked," Batten says, adding that he also likes the aesthetic of Craftsman-era design. "The organic elements of Craftsman design really make everything come to life by softening it up and giving it an earthy feel."
To keep up with the latest in design trends, Batten scours home design and architecture magazines, always tuned into how his work can tie in with a variety of architectural styles. "One of the reasons I enjoy creating the sinks is that they are something people can use, but are also an artistic enhancement," he adds. "The architectural end of it is what I really get into."
Karla McFadden, project manager for Cheryl Smith Associates Interior Design, agrees. "We’ll find a piece of furniture not necessarily made to be a sink base and it’ll give the powder room a really eclectic look," she says. "Gordon’s work really stands out in a room. His organically inspired design is very beautiful."
Batten starts a project by hammering out simple patterns or pressing crumpled paper into the wet clay of the vessel’s exterior to create texture. Before the vessel is fired, Batten often layers hand stamped or incised decoration underneath a layer of applied clay slip. He then adds about five colors of glaze.
Batten also makes liberal use of sgraffito, the technique of scratching decoration into the underglaze. Sometimes the darker clay under the slip will show through as contrasting lines. Sgraffito, according to Batten, leads the eye through the flowing sea of color. Additionally, he will often apply several overglazes and washes that are combined with varying oxides to impart a metallic luster. "The layering gives the piece more of a three dimensional look," he explains. "It also gives the homeowner the opportunity to say after a year or so of using the sink, ‘Wow, I never saw that detail before.’"
On some pieces, Batten airbrushes select areas with a white colored glaze, encouraging occasional spots of crystalline growth to occur in the kiln firing. The effect is a spontaneous rush of what appears to be a completely improvised design — a bubbling up of depth, texture and color. "The designs look random," he says, "but they are actually quite calculated".
Though he also produces "drop in" sinks, the vessels are especially popular because they allow the homeowner to use an unconventional bathroom cabinet — such as an antique wooden dresser, vanity or washstand — as the foundation for the basin.
"He’s one of the most versatile potters I’ve seen," says Jill Breaux, design specialist for Koenig Homebuilders. The custom homebuilder installs Batten’s sinks in the powder rooms of many of the houses they build. "I never worry about the plumbing not working on one of his pieces," she notes. "There’s never a problem with drains or leaks — it’s always a perfect fit."
"I’m fascinated with stretching clay to its limits," says Batten. "When I see surprising results after pulling a piece from the kiln, I love to think, ‘what else can be done with this?’"
