Tectonic Plates

As he picked up the broken bits of ceramic plates in his Santa Monica home after the Northridge earthquake last year, artist Alexander Wilensky got an idea. He began to put the pieces together in different patterns, one plate’s remains with another, and discovered that they formed beautiful designs. Soon after, Wilensky and his wife, Betty Schwartz, began producing the Earthquake Series, a line of unique serving plates.

Each piece involves hours of hand-painting and at least two firings. Some of the designs reflect Wilensky’s Russian heritage; others are more whimsical. The dogs that ran loose around his home after the quake, for instance, are now immortalized in one plate’s design. Plates from the Earthquake Series are available at Free Hand in Los Angeles and the Gallery of Functional Art in Santa Monica. For more information, contact Alexander Wilensky Studio, (310) 458-9388.