Obscure America: George E. Ohr

George E. Ohr (1857-1918) was a local potter born in Mississippi who was self described as the “Mad Potter of Biloxi.” He had a shop there and created abstract ceramics from 1880 until 1909. He considered his work ahead of its time, but predicted “When I am gone, my work will be praised, honored, and cherished. It will come.” After a 25 year spell of not selling a single piece he closed up his shop and never threw clay again. The shop sat for decades after his death, holding hundreds of his unusual pieces, and Ohr sank into obscurity. His son ran a gas station on the property and one day in the 1960’s he offered to show a customer some of his fathers pottery. The amazing colors and twisted and pinched shapes of the pottery led to the rediscovery and appreciation of Georges life work. There is now an art museum in Biloxi with a permanent collection of his ceramics, as well as exhibits of his work at art museums across the country. His prophesy of his work being valued after his death came true, leading to his being called “the Picasso of art pottery.”