Ruddy Staffel – the art of almost nothing

The aesthetic of Ruddy Staffel (1911- 2002) was esoteric, yet elegant. His simple white porcelain vessels, generally no larger than twelve inches in height, appear at first glance to be damaged wares. Fragmented, torn and twisted, these clay forms were groundbreaking when first exhibited. With a non-conventional sense of refinement, Staffel left a body of work built on a deeply personal conceptual platform.

Staffel was an artist who found his voice late in life. While early efforts were respectable, it was not until he created the “Light Gatherer” porcelain series, that his truly original art emerged.

Staffel was on faculty at the Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia from 1940 until his retirement in 1978. He was active with the local ceramic and craft community and had a strong affiliation with the Helen Drutt Gallery. The Philadelphia Museum of Art has a large collection of his ceramics.

click here to see the Staffel collection at the Philadelphia Museum of Art