In his unique works Franz Josef Altenburg realises in clay the process of reduction and simplification that he has been pursuing systematically throughout his career. Combining the texture of the material with the order of his creations, the result is major series ranging from his Houses, Stairs, Pedestals, and Backdrops to his Blocks, Towers, Scaffolds, Containers, and Frames. With his expert mastery of handling and design techniques evident through out the six decades of his oeuvre, Altenburg elevates ceramics into the realm of fine art.

This book documents and analyses the artist, his work, and the site of his creativity in texts by art experts and a writer and offers for the very first time a comprehensive overview of his works, as well as an extensive illustrated biography with a list of exhibitions.

The publication of Franz Josef Altenburg: Clay and Form marks the occasion of the renowned Austrian ceramic artist’s 80th birthday and complements the exhibition of the same name at the Kaiservilla, Bad Ischl, as well as a presentation at the Musem of Applied Arts Vienna.