Waistel Cooper 1921-2003
Waistel Cooper was a British painter and a major figure of the studio pottery scene in the post-war period. He was instrumental in the development of modernism within the world of ceramics.
Born in Ayr, Scotland, he initially studied painting at Hospitalfield School of Art before winning a painting scholarship to Edinburgh College of Art.
After the interrupted of world war two, Cooper attempted his hand at pottery with a portrait commission in Iceland. Following this, he returned to England to set up a pottery studio in the village of Porlock, Somerset in 1950.
In August 1955, Henry Rothschild (1913–2009) gave Cooper a one-man show at his craft gallery in London, Primavera. Often compared to contemporary London based studio potters Coper and Lucie Rie, Cooper’s rural lifestyle meant that he was largely isolated from London trends. Cooper stated, “I met Lucie Rie and Hans Coper in the fifties and felt a very strong kinship with the direction their work was taking, in so far as it was concerned, as was mine, with sculptural form and texture, and was light years away from the Japonaiserie of the Bernard Leach school of pottery.”
In 1957 Cooper moved to the nearby hamlet of Culbone, where he re-established his pottery. He remained at Culbone Lodge for 25 years, before moving to Penzance in 1982.
We are actively seeking consignments of work by Waistel Cooper. Please contact us with details or to enquire after available works by this artist.
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Waistel CooperTrumpet vase, late 1960s-1970sdecorated with an incised lip and horizontal carved bands, on a rough textured rust surface, and an ash green gloss-glazed interior
signed ‘Waistel’ to the base
Culbonestoneware11 x 7 ¼ inches -
Waistel CooperLarge goblet form vase, late 1960swith a rough textured cream and rust surface, and an oatmeal, rust spattered, gloss glazed interior
signed ‘Waistel’ to the base
Culbonestoneware8 ¾ x 6 inches£ 2,000.00 -
Waistel CooperOval pin dish, early 1950swith an incised female figure in dark brown on a speckled surface
signed ‘Waistel’ to the base
Merryfield, Porlockstoneware7 ¾ x 3 ½ inches -
Waistel CooperPear drop vase, early 1950swith fine vertical sgraffito lines on a smooth rust surface
signed 'Waistel' to the base
Merryfield, Porlockstoneware6 x 5 ½ inches -
Waistel CooperDouble gourd shaped vase, c.1970with vertical carved lines to the neck, and a rough textured rust surface
signed 'Waistel' to the basestonewareheight 10 ½ inches -
Waistel CooperOvoid sculptural form, 1980s-90swith a rough textured cream surface and cruciform aperture with internal azure gloss glaze
signed 'Waistel' to the base
The Barbican Pottery, Penzancestoneware6 x 9 ¾ inches -
Waistel CooperSmall squat flared-lip vase, 1980s-90swith a rough textured cream surface, and a satin glazed interior with rust spatters
signed 'Waistel' to the base
The Barbican Pottery, Penzancestoneware4 x 4 inches£ 1,000.00 -
Waistel CooperWaisted vase with a split rim, 1980s-90swith a rough textured cream surface, and interior azure matt glaze
signed 'Waistel' to the base
The Barbican Pottery, Penzancestoneware9 ½ x 6 inches£ 4,000.00 -
Waistel CooperBaluster vase, 1980swith a rough textured cream surface
signed ‘Waistel’ to the base
The Barbican Pottery, Penzancestoneware9 ½ x 6 ¾ inches£ 2,000.00 -
Waistel CooperBaluster vase, 1980swith wide flared lip on a rough textured cream surface, and an ash blue glazed interior
signed ‘Waistel’ to the base
The Barbican Pottery, Penzancestoneware7 ¼ x 5 ¾ inches£ 2,000.00 -
Waistel CooperSquat baluster vase, 1980swith a rough textured cream surface
signed ‘Waistel’ to the base
The Barbican Pottery, Penzancestoneware6 x 7 inches£ 1,800.00 -
Waistel CooperAbstract sculpture, 1970s-90swith a rough textured cream and rust surface
signed 'Waistel' to the base
Culbone or The Barbican Pottery, Penzancestoneware6 x 13 x 10 ¾ inches -
Waistel CooperLarge apple form vase, 1970swith cut shoulders and a rough textured rust surface
signed 'Waistel' to the base
Culbonestoneware8 ¾ x 10 ¾ inches -
Waistel CooperLarge goblet form vase, 1960s-70swith a rough textured cream and brown surface
signed 'Waistel' to the base
Culbonestoneware8 ¾ x 6 inches£ 2,000.00 -
Waistel CooperMallet form vase, 1960s-1970swith wide flared lip and cut shoulders, decorated with vertical carved lines on a rough textured dark brown and cream surface, and a satin-glazed rust interior with manganese spatters
signed ‘Waistel’ to the base
Culbonestoneware7 ¼ x 5 inches -
Waistel CooperElongated baluster jug, 1950swith vertical sgraffito lines on a rust surface, and an oatmeal satin-glazed interior
signed ‘Waistel’ to the base
Merryfield, Porlockstoneware7 ¾ x 5 inches -
Waistel CooperFooted tea bowl, 1950sdecorated with vertical sgraffito lines on an oatmeal and rust surface, and a speckled oatmeal satin-glazed interior
signed ‘Waistel’ to the base
Merryfield, Porlockstoneware2 ¾ x 4 ¾ inches
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Art & Design
1950 - 2000 26 Apr - 1 Jun 2024The Fine Art Society presents an exhibition of paintings, prints textiles and objects from 1950 to 2000 including a group of textiles by Trinidad-born designer Althea McNish, produced by Heal's...Read more -
History of the New
1 Jun - 29 Jul 2023Our summer show brings together artists who found themselves working at the threshold of the modern. It was this self-awareness and urge to make it new that motivated them as...Read more -
Waistel Cooper 1921-2003
Part Two 29 Sep - 18 Nov 2022 -
Waistel Cooper 1921-2003
Part one 14 Jan - 25 Feb 20222021 marked the centenary year of artist-potter Waistel Cooper's birth. It seemed fitting that this was the moment The Fine Art Society, with its long history of dealing in decorative...Read more