7 , ▁Mel v ino ▁Gar rett i ▁joined ▁the ▁nearby ▁Studio ▁W att s ▁Work shop . ▁Although , ▁originally ▁a ▁painter , ▁the ▁work shop ▁introduced ▁him ▁to ▁cer am ics ▁through ▁two ▁years ▁of ▁rig orous ▁work ▁at ▁Great ▁Bar r ington ▁Pot tery , ▁the ▁pot tery ▁shop ▁of ▁Richard ▁Ben nett ▁in ▁the ▁Ber k shire ▁Mountains ▁of ▁Massachusetts . ▁There ▁he ▁received ▁less ons ▁in ▁Japanese ▁techniques ▁and ▁philosophy ▁of ▁production , ▁and ▁fired ▁pot tery ▁within ▁an ▁authentic ▁wood - burn ing ▁kil n . ▁After ▁this ▁focus ▁in ▁cer am ics , ▁Gar rett i ▁moved ▁to ▁San ▁Francisco , ▁where ▁he ▁studied ▁as ▁a ▁painter ▁under ▁Julius ▁Hat of sky ▁at ▁San ▁Francisco ▁Art ▁Institute . ▁ ▁Performance ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 9 , ▁Gar rett i ▁and ▁ten ▁other ▁members ▁of ▁Studio ▁W att s ▁joined ▁with ▁the ▁San ▁Francisco ▁Dan cer ' s ▁Work shop ▁under ▁the ▁direction ▁of ▁Anna ▁Hal pr in ▁in ▁a ▁dance ▁performance ▁art ▁piece , ▁entitled ▁Cer em ony ▁of ▁Us , ▁which ▁took ▁place ▁at ▁the ▁Mark ▁T aper ▁Forum ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 9 ▁ ▁Art istic ▁Style ▁ ▁Gar rett i ' s ▁paint ings ▁and ▁cer am ic ▁works ▁often ▁include ▁sp ikes , ▁spir al ▁forms , ▁and ▁j ag ged ▁edges , ▁to ▁which ▁he ▁applies ▁pain ts ▁and ▁gla zes ▁using ▁a ▁free ▁gest ural ▁approach . ▁Gar rett i ▁also ▁has ▁done ▁several ▁works ▁which ▁contain