ROBERT ELLISON

ELLISON--Robert A., Jr., artist, collector, and champion of ceramics, passed away on July 9, 2021 at the age of 89. Over his lifetime, Ellison donated more than 600 works to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, transforming the museum's holdings in American art pottery, late 19th and early 20th century European ceramics, and most recently, modern and contemporary works in clay. Many pieces from his most recent gift can be seen in the exhibition "Shapes From Out of Nowhere: Ceramics from the Robert A. Ellison Jr. Collection," currently on view at The Met. In his deep generosity and singular devotion to clay, Bob's impact on the field and its artists leaves an enduring legacy. Born in 1932 in Fort Worth, Texas, Bob served in the Navy before earning a philosophy degree from the University of Texas, Austin. In the late-1950s, he spent a year in New York City with his first wife, Nancy Ellison, compelled by Abstract Expressionism and befriending its artists including Milton Resnick, Willem de Kooning, and Wolf Kahn. He returned to Fort Worth in 1958 to open the Ellison Gallery on the ground floor of his family's furniture store, which exhibited many of the leading artists of the day. In 1962 Bob returned to New York, pursuing abstract painting from his Lower East Side loft. He soon began hunting flea markets and antique stores which led to his first ceramics purchase, a Dedham Pottery plate. With little scholarship available to guide him, Bob led with his eye, drawn to form, color, and glaze. As he acquired work, he researched. What began as a hobby soon turned into an abiding passion, cemented in 1974 when Bob discovered George Ohr, the late 19th century American potter. Then largely unknown, documenting Ohr's groundbreaking work became a lifelong pursuit, which culminated in Bob's 2006 book George Ohr, Art Potter: The Apostle of Individuality, published by Scala. Bob skillfully photographed the images on its pages, and continued thereafter, shooting striking images of his collection for publications including "American Art Pottery: The Robert A. Ellison Jr. Collection" by Alice Cooney Frelinghuysen, Martin Eidelberg, and Adrienne Spinozzi, published by The Met in 2018, and his most recent collection catalogue for "Shapes from Out of Nowhere," published by August Editions this year. Bob infused art into every part of his life: designing and building inventive furniture for his loft in Greenwich Village and creating jewelry for his beloved wife and partner of 39 years, the artist Rosaire Appel. His paintings are represented by the Westbrook Modern Gallery in Carmel, California. In addition, Bob was an avid fisherman, sailor, and liked to share good wine with friends. The cause of death was a brain hemorrhage. He is survived by his wife, his daughter Hillary Ellison, son-in-law, McKay Duncan, and his grandchildren Oliver and Wilha. He will be deeply missed by many. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to The Milton Resnick and Pat Passlof Foundation.