Rudy Autio (Amer. 1926-2007) stoneware sculpture with glazes. [15" H x 15" W x 10" D]. "I still love clay", Autio wrote, "because there are so many ways you can go with it and because it requires great focus and concentration. There's the interesting technical side to firing clay, the sculptural side and the painting side. Other arts seem so distant to me right now." Born in the shadows of the Depression, Rudy Autio drew inspiration from his immigrant Finnish heritage. He spent the majority of his career in Montana and had a deep sense of place about the open western environment. Informed by his childhood experiences and his love of Montana's rich history, Rudy created a unique body of work that captured the artist's personal worldview. Autio altered his color palate during his career becoming ever more primary in his glazes. Later work embraced a more pastel hue. The American Ceramics website notes that "Clay turned out to be the perfect medium for Autio, allowing him to add dimension to his voluptuous forms." It was also a way to play between 2-D and 3-D with influences from painting such as free-floating figures in the canvasses of Marc Chagall. Reference: Lackey, Louanna M. (with foreword by Peter Voulkos). Rudy Autio. Westerville (OH): The American Ceramic Society, 2002.