Eric Owen
Born 1902
Died 1974
Active: 1922 - 1947
Country of birth and death: England
Sculptor, ceramic artist, potter
Born in Stoke on Trent. Student at Burslem Art School from 1926; chief modeller for Mintons Ltd. 1924 to 1947; part-time Instructor at Longton and Stoke Schools of Art from 1929 to 1944 [see Haggar (1953), p. 46]. See Atterbury and Batkin 'Dictionary of Minton' (1990), p. 289, and Reilly and Savage, 'The Dictionary of Wedgwood' (1980), p. 258, for further biographical references.
Owen's birth and death dates have been revised based on information supplied by his granddaughter, Jackie Murray.
Works
Dates are usually the year a work was exhibited so may differ from date of production.
New entries have been made each time a work was exhibited. Click here for more information.
Mrs R. G. Haggar
1934 (Presumed)
Mr R. G. Haggar
1934 (Presumed)
Watching Over
1938 (Presumed)
The Child Jesus
1938 (Presumed)
Centaur
1940
Young Chiron
1941 (Presumed)
Life-Class
1950 (Presumed)
Exhibitions, Meetings, Awards and other Events
Exhibited at Royal Birmingham Society of Artists. The Spring Exhibition, 1940
'Centaur'
Exhibited at Society of Staffordshire Artists. First Annual Exhibition (The Museum, Pall Mall, Hanley), 1934
Multiple works
Exhibited at Fifth Annual Exhibition of the Society of Staffordshire Artists (City of Stoke on Trent Museums and Art Gallery, Hanley), 1938
Multiple works
Exhibited at Seventh Annual Exhibition of the Society of Staffordshire Artists (City of Stoke on Trent Museums and Art Gallery, Hanley), 1941
Multiple works
Exhibited at Eighth Annual Exhibition of the Society of Staffordshire Artists (City of Stoke on Trent Museums and Art Gallery, Hanley), 1942
March 1942
Exhibited two pieces of china: 'Churchill Mug' and 'Mask', p. 7 (139-140).
Exhibited at Exhibition Recording the Changing Face of the Potteries (Society of Staffordshire Artists), 1949
November 1949
Exhibited three works in the 'Craftwork' section of the exhibition: 'The Saggar Maker', 'The Placer' and 'The Placer'; media were not specified, p. 8 (134-36).
Exhibited at Society of Staffordshire Artists Sixteenth Annual Exhibition (City of Stoke on Trent Museums and Art Gallery, Hanley), 1950
March 1950
Exhibited 'Chess Players', 'In the Garden', 'The Creation' and 'Across the Threshold', p. 11 (148-151); media unknown.
Institutional and Business Connections
Employed at Minton and Company
1922 (Circa) - 1947 (Circa)
First apprenticed to Minton Hollins Company, then moved to Minton's China Works in 1922. In 1928 became chief modeller for Minton. Left the firm in 1947 to become chief modeller at Wedgwood. See Atterbury and Batkin 'Dictionary of Minton' (1990), p. 289.
Employed at Wedgwood (Josiah Wedgwood and Sons Ltd.)
1947 - 1975
Atterbury and Batkin 'Dictionary of Minton' (1990) records that Owen left Minton in 1947 to become chief modeller at Wedgwood. Reilly and Savage, 'The Dictionary of Wedgwood' (1980), state that Owen was chief modeller and sculptor for Wedgwood from 1946 to 1967 and then worked as a freelance modeller at Barlaston factory from 1967 until his death [summary].
An article in the Wedgwood Review, vol. 4, no. 4, Sept. 1967 (see Wedgwood Museum Digital Archive, reference no. WWREV4 4/9) entitled 'Retirement of Erice Owen' records Owen joining Wedgwood as 'chief sculptor and modeller in 1947 having served his apprentice at a Stoke tile factory and having been head modeller at the Minton Works for twenty-five years'. The article states that he retired in July 1967, but continued work on a 'part-time basis' from this date.
See also a number of articles in the 'Wedgwood Review' and photographs of various works (jugs, teapots, portrait medallions etc.) that were designed/produced by Owen for Wedgwood: note that the photographs date from c. 1953 onwards all held in the Wedgwood Museum Digital Archive [summary].
Studied at Burslem School of Art
See Atterbury and Batkin 'Dictionary of Minton' (1990), p. 289, no dates are given.
Teacher of modeling at Stoke School of Art
1938 - 1939
Listed as tutor of 'Modelling (Technical)' at Stoke School of Art [see 'Schools of Art Prospectus' (1938-39), p. 6].
Teacher of modeling at Longton School of Art
1938 (Presumed) - 1939 (Presumed)
Listed as a tutor of 'modelling' at Longton School of Art [see 'Schools of Art Prospectus' (1938-39), p. 6].
Sources
A Century of Art Education in the Potteries. With notes on the Artists, 1953 Local Studies
1953 (Circa)
p. 46.
City of Stoke-on-Trent Schools of Art Prospectus, 1938-1939
12 September 1938
p. 6.
Eighth Annual Exhibition of the Society of Staffordshire Artists, 1942
March 1942
p. 7.
Exhibition Recording the Changing Face of the Potteries, 1949
November 1949
p. 8.
Fifth Annual Exhibition of the Society of Staffordshire Artists, 1938
October 1938
p. 6.
Seventh Annual Exhibition of the Society of Staffordshire Artists, 1941
April 1941
p. 6.
Sixth Annual Exhibition of the Society of Staffordshire Artists, 1940
February 1940
p. 6.
Society of Staffordshire Artists Sixteenth Annual Exhibition, 1950
March 1950
p. 11.
Society of Staffordshire Artists. First Annual Exhibition, 27 October 1934
27 October 1934
p. 6.
The Dictionary of Minton
1990
p. 289.
The Wedgwood Museum Digital Archive
See an article in 'Wedgwood Review', vol. 4, no. 4, Sept. 1967, p. 9.
See also a number of articles in the 'Wedgwood Review' and photographs of various works (jugs, teapots, portrait medallions etc.) that were designed/produced by Owen for Wedgwood: note that the photographs date from c. 1953 onwards [summary].
Citing this record
'Eric Owen', Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851-1951, University of Glasgow History of Art and HATII, online database 2011 [http://sculpture.gla.ac.uk/view/person.php?id=msib4_1219838916, accessed 09 Jun 2023]
