Richard Pankratz decided by age ten that he wanted to be an artist and then spent the next eleven years achieving that goal. Having grown up in the Flint Hills in rural Kansas, attending the Kansas City Art Institute in a major metropolitan area was an adventure. Faced with the reality of making a living, he decided to get his teaching credentials, and continued his education at Emporia State University where he earned a bachelors and masters degree. After teaching art for twelve years and making pottery in the evenings and weekends, Richard took a sabbatical to concentrate on making pottery. He has been potting full time for the last 20 years.
Pottery is usable art, rather than just food for the soul.
Art can be functional and it is up to the artist to put art into each functional piece. It becomes the artist's job to create something that will enrich and fit into the public's life. I try to create an expression of my artistic vision within the confines of making objects for use. Even so, some days I am compelled to make things whose function is just to be. It is a delicate balance, trying to juggle and ultimately fuse opposing forces.