David Cressey, a multi-disciplinary artist who had a six-decade career, created pottery and ceramics that revolutionized indoor/outdoor planters with their architectural style. Implementing artistic functionality into his pieces, Cressey designed in modern and mid-century modern styles. He created many planters, vases and table lamps, which remain highly desirable to collectors.
Cressey was the first artist in residence at Architectural Pottery in Los Angeles in 1961, helping to transform its urban and residential work. This was highly influential in the architecture and design worlds as the company mass-produced and sold sculptural, functional pieces.
Cressey also opened a design studio in Venice Beach, California, collaborating with Group Artec and Earthgender Ceramics. When Architectural Pottery closed in the mid-1980s due to a fire, Cressey continued to produce art, this time in the medium of mixed media on wood.
Cressey artwork evokes a similar physical and sensory experience as his vessels, lanterns and folk art ceramics. Evocatively Californian, his paintings evolved from his clay-based practice with a masterful use of color, saturation and texture. His fine art training included studying at the University of Southern California under Vivika Heino and at the University of California, Los Angeles, with Laura Andreson.
In 2006, he received the California Design Award. Museums that have exhibited his work include the Pasadena Art Museum in 1967, the Everson Museum of Art in 1961, the Oakland Museum of California in 1961 and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in 2011.
On 1stDibs, find a rare collection of David Cressey building and garden elements, decorative objects, lighting and more.
Robert Maxwell & David Cressey Storage Jar for Earthgender
By David Cressey, Robert Maxwell, Architectural Pottery
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Robert Maxwell & David Cressey Storage Jar for Earthgender. Studio executed in hand thrown and designed textured earthenware with matching glazed lid, ideal as both a storage solutio...
Earthenware
1970s Robert Maxwell & David Cressey 'Teardrop Sunburst' Pot for Earthgender
By Robert Maxwell, David Cressey
Located in Los Angeles, CA
1970s Robert Maxwell & David Cressey 'Teardrop Sunburst' Pot for Earthgender Studio executed in hand etched, glazed and textured earthenware. A very clean example from the short-liv...
Earthenware
1960s Large Ceramic Planter Attributed to John Follis for Architectural Pottery
By John Follis, Architectural Pottery
Located in Los Angeles, CA
1960s Large Ceramic Planter Attributed to John Follis for Architectural Pottery. Executed in matte white glazed ceramic. A very clean and increasingly rare example highly reminiscen...
Ceramic
1960s Glazed Ceramic Pot Attributed to John Follis for Architectural Pottery
By Architectural Pottery, John Follis
Located in Los Angeles, CA
1960s Glazed Ceramic Pot Attributed to John Follis for Architectural Pottery. Executed in matte white glazed ceramic. A very clean and increasingly rare example highly reminiscent o...
Ceramic
Gainey Matte Glazed Ceramic Planter, circa 2000s
By Gainey Pottery
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Gainey Matte Glazed Ceramic Planter, circa 2000s. Executed in matte off-white glazed ceramic. A very clean and increasingly rare example attributed to iconic ceramics manufacturer G...
Ceramic
1960s Robert Maxwell Hand-Thrown Speckle Glazed 'Flower' Stoneware Pot
By Robert Maxwell
Located in Los Angeles, CA
1960s Robert Maxwell Hand-Thrown Speckle Glazed 'Flower' Stoneware Pot. Executed by accomplished potter Robert Maxwell in hand-thrown etched, glazed and textured earthenware. A very...
Earthenware
Large Earthenware Pottery Planter in the Style of David Cressey / Robert Maxwell
By Robert Maxwell and David Cressey
Located in San Diego, CA
Large earthenware pottery planter with attached tray in the style of David Cressey / Robert Maxwell, circa 1980s. The piece is in very good vintage condition with no chips or cracks ...
Earthenware
Hand-Turned Ceramic Planter by Piet Knepper for Mobach, 1960
By Mobach, Piet Knepper
Located in London, GB
Large hand turned 1960's studio ceramic plant pot with over sized handles is created on the turning wheel by highly technical skilled Dutch ceramist ...
Ceramic
Earthgender Stoneware Planter by Robert Maxwell & David Cressey, 1970s
By Robert Maxwell and David Cressey
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Stoneware planter, circa 1970s, USA, is a result of the collaboration between David Cressey & Robert Maxwell to create the line Earthgender. This hand thrown planter features an ungl...
Stoneware
Mid-Century Modern Earthgender Ceramic Planter by David Cressey & Robert Maxwell
By Robert Maxwell and David Cressey
Located in North Hollywood, CA
There’s a quiet elegance to pieces like this, the kind that instantly makes a space feel more curated, layered, and lived in. Designed by David Cressey and Robert Maxwell for Earthge...
Ceramic
Robert Maxwell Incised Studio Pottery Planter with Flared Lip
By Robert Maxwell
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Hand thrown studio pottery planter by California ceramics artist Robert Maxwell, c.1970s. This example has a tulip shape that flares at the lip. It is decorated with Maxwell's signat...
Stoneware
California Studio Pottery Planter by James Wishon and Jerry Harrell
By Wishon-Harrell, David Cressey
Located in San Diego, CA
Mid-Century stoneware planter by Wishon-Harrell. Green glaze with a wax resist abstract design. James Wishon and Jerry Harrell produced many fine ceramics in their southern Californ...
Clay
