Painters and sculptors are known for working in solitude. They spend long hours alone in their studios — thinking, brushing, hammering, polishing — emerging only when they have something they want to share with the world. But it’s different for many ceramicists. They often labor in groups, or in co-ops, each pursuing their own ideas but all but sharing the most important tool of the job: the kiln. They have to work together to make sure the oven can supply the right timing and the proper temperatures that each artist needs.