Ceramic artist Edith Heath dead at 94

TIBURON, Calif., Dec. 31 (UPI) -- Ceramic artist Edith Heath, whose commercial work is included in major museums around the United States, has died in Tiburon, Calif., at age 94.

Heath died of natural causes Tuesday at her home, the Los Angeles Times reported Saturday.

Heath's simple ceramic shapes were inspired by Japanese tableware, the newspaper said, and she achieved a level of artistry generally associated with handcrafted work.

"Edith was at the forefront of the move to modernist design that influenced architecture and furniture as well as ceramics," Bill Stern, executive director of the Museum of California Design in Los Angeles, told the newspaper.

"Edith's work is all about shape and texture," he said. "Her glazes are her only ornamentation."

Heath began her design career making handcrafted pottery and in 1967. She created the architectural tiles for the exterior of the Pasadena (Calif.) Art Museum.

She became the first ceramicist to receive the Industrial Arts Design Medal from the American Institute of Architects in 1971. She sold her business in 2003 and its current owners continue producing her original designs, the newspaper said.

Heath is survived by a sister and several nieces and nephews.