William Underhill

William Underhill (1933–2022) was one of the greatest proponents of the American Arts and Crafts movement. He combined techniques from ceramics and metallurgy to create impressive metal sculptures with a unique formal idiom.

Underhill’s works range from geometric vessel forms to abstract floral, freehand sculptures. He understood like no other how to leave his own mark in the metal – often in the truest sense of the word. In doing so he created surfaces never before seen in metal art, surfaces that are shown here in copious details.

Drawn from the artist’s extensive estate and exhibited in the Alfred Ceramic Art Museum, the large retrospective of Underhill’s work was developed by editor Wayne Higby and photographer Brian Oglesbee. Having bought back his own works during his lifetime, Underhill allowed this significant treasure trove of unique sculptures to now be presented in the publication Casting a Legacy.

The mark of a unique artist!