The full-fledged ceramic art movement in the United States began in the mid-1950s after World War II. The ceramic movement arose as a means of figurative expression within the climate of the art movement, also known as the abstract expressionist movement. Of course, the American occupation of Japan was also a major factor in introducing many actual Japanese ceramics to the United States. Many of the artists seem to be located in the western part of the U.S., centering on Los Angeles. Representative artists include Peter Vaucus, John Mason, Arnesen Robert, Otto Naller, and Ralph Baseler.
