CEDAR FALLS - Dean Schwarz recalls sitting in his booth at an art fair, listening as a woman counseled her grandchild, "Take a good look at this man and his work … and if you don't apply yourself and make good grades in school, you could end up like him."

Schwarz delights in telling the story.

Fans of the internationally-known ceramic artist's work would say, "Hey, the kid should be so lucky!"

"Pottery Form and Inherent Expression," on display at the University of Northern Iowa Gallery of Art through Oct. 22, is a tribute to five decades of artwork by Schwarz, now joined by his son Gunnar, in their studio at South Bear School near Decorah.

Stepping inside the UNI gallery, Schwarz's first thought was, "This isn't all mine. Frankly, I marvel at it and I am extremely impressed by the way Darrell Taylor (gallery director) displays it all. And I am astonished at how many skeletons - mentors, teachers, friends, colleagues - are running through the show. I can feel their presence in the work," he explains.

Schwarz sees himself as one in an unbroken chain of potters that dates back to the "handiwerk" or handicraft of 17th century German potters, a tradition of creating functional, creative pottery. The notion was revived in 1919 in Germany when the Bauhaus (considered the most influential art school in history) attempted to blur the lines between art and design.

"It's about passion, and every generation is required to add something new to the dialogue, something never seen before. They can't copy other work because it becomes conventional," says Schwarz.

He confesses that his efforts to "make metaphors" creates a symbiotic relationship between pot and potter, and muses that the word "inherent" in the exhibit title is a mysterious one that viewers must define for themselves. "It's too big a word for me."

Bauhaus-trained master potter Marguerite Wildenhain was one of Schwarz's mentors, and he served as her teaching assistant at Pond Farm, near Guerneville, Calif. A Fullbright-Hays scholar, Schwarz's work appears in public and private collections in seven countries, including the White House in Washington, D.C. He joined the Luther College staff in 1964, and left as department head in 1986.

Wildenhain was a frequent visitor to South Bear School and Luther College, and donated a larger part of her collection to the college. The exhibit coincides with publication of the book, "Marguerite Wildenhain and the Bauhaus: An Eyewitness Anthology," edited by Schwarz and his wife, Geraldine, and designed by UNI Professor of Art Roy A. Behrens.

These days, Gunnar throws pots at the wheel for his father, and Schwarz carves decorative designs and creates and paints the glazes. After 50 years, that thrill of fear and excitement still tickles the artist's spine during the firing process. Pots can explode in the kiln or emerge like beautiful butterflies from a chrysalis.

For Schwarz, the UNI exhibit clearly is filled with butterflies. "As far as I'm concerned, this is one of the two real shows I've had in my career."

Melody Parker can be reached at 291-1429 or melody.parker@wcfcourier.com.