Paul Dresang (born Appleton, Wisconsin, 1948). Porcelain, glaze, lusters, and slip sculpture, 1995. While studying under Warren Mackenzie at the University of Minnesota for his MFA, Paul Dresang focused largely on creating functional ceramics. In 1985, the artist turned to porcelain and the creation of nonfunctional vessels with trompe l'oeil (French for trick the eye) details. This object is from his best-known series, representing teapots emerging from "unzipped" ceramic bags that replicate the look of leather. By engaging with a recognizable, common household object, Dresang hopes to make a personal connection with the viewer, to evoke a memory. He explains, "I hope they will want to touch it - need to touch it. I want my work to provide the ultimate lure of the object and I am finished and most satisfied only when they too are hooked." Dresang's work can be found in other collections throughout the world, including the Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art, Logan, Utah; the Renwick Gallery, National Museum of Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC; and the Tai Pei County Ceramics Museum, Tai Pei, Taiwan. Height: 15 1/2 in x width: 12 in x depth: 10 in.