| Otto Heino | ||
| Birth Date: April 20, 1915 |
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| Death Date: July 16, 2009 Artist Gallery |
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| Otto Heino was one of twelve children born of Finish immigrants in East Hampton, Connecticut. Heino’s involvement with ceramics began while he was serving the U.S. Air Force in England; during a military leave, he spent several days watching Bernard Leach throw pots. Following his return to the US, he used his GI Bill funding in 1949 to study ceramics at the League of new Hampshire Arts and Crafts, in Concord, New Hampshire. There he met Vivika, his teacher, whom he married in 1950.
Vivika was born Vivien Place in Caledonia, New York. In the mid-30s, after getting a teaching degree at the Rochester Normal School, she spent two years with the Works Progress Administration theatre project, and headed the National Youth Administration in San Francisco. Discovering clay at this time, she studied at the California School of fine Arts (now the San Francisco Art Institute). Vivien Place started using the name Vivika while studying at the Swedish Applied Arts where teacher Margaret Gravandar thought everyone should have a Swedish name.
Otto and Vivka moved to California in 1952, where Vivika replaced Glen Lukens, head of ceramics at the University of Southern California during Luken’s sabbatical. Otto also taught at the university during this 3 year stint. Also in 1952, she became a technical advisor for Twentieth Century Fox Studios, and she and Otto made 751 pots for the movie The Egyptian.
Teaching was a very important part of Vivka’s life, although Otto also enjoyed teaching, Otto preferred studio production. The Heinos supported themselves as potters throughout their career. Clean lines and distinctive glazes mark their work; avoiding ceramic trend, they focused on traditional utilitarian pottery. They were part of a generation that sought to redefine the relationship between ceramics and modern art.
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