There's More Than Meets the Eye
This body of work mainly discusses elevating the overlooked and unexpected. I expressed this idea through the extensive use of found objects and textures often using “the vessel” as a canvas or medium to lift the insignificant. Something within me resonated strongly with this idea. Perhaps it started with a strong belief that within each of us there is great potential. In some ways I see myself as the textures I use, many of which, I am sure, are never noticed where I find them. But by simply presenting these found textures in a new way, their beauty, uniqueness, and or value can be appreciated by a wider audience.
I have also embraced the fact that I am a summation of the things that surround me. I cannot escape the influence of my family, the area I work in, where I grew up, as well as places of significant events in my life. In this way I feel perhaps as Gustave Courbet, the 17th century realist painter, did, striving to “…translate the customs, ideas, and appearance of my time as I see them into living art.”1 By representing these people and places with textures associated with them, I feel I can offer a unique synopsis and perspective.
At a time where it seems everything is accepted, value must lie in personal opinion. It is then imperative to me that work is extremely personal in order to have value. It has also become irrelevant to define artists by a particular means of working with clay. We use whatever means necessary to best convey our ideas whether that involves throwing, altering, hand building or mixed media. Yet today being a ceramic artist may involve working entirely without clay. Clay is so versatile; I love the medium and although I don’t think I could ever completely abandon it, I am excited to explore any idea that I might appear in my sketchbook.
1. For full quote see Goldwater 295, Artists on Art
I have also embraced the fact that I am a summation of the things that surround me. I cannot escape the influence of my family, the area I work in, where I grew up, as well as places of significant events in my life. In this way I feel perhaps as Gustave Courbet, the 17th century realist painter, did, striving to “…translate the customs, ideas, and appearance of my time as I see them into living art.”1 By representing these people and places with textures associated with them, I feel I can offer a unique synopsis and perspective.
At a time where it seems everything is accepted, value must lie in personal opinion. It is then imperative to me that work is extremely personal in order to have value. It has also become irrelevant to define artists by a particular means of working with clay. We use whatever means necessary to best convey our ideas whether that involves throwing, altering, hand building or mixed media. Yet today being a ceramic artist may involve working entirely without clay. Clay is so versatile; I love the medium and although I don’t think I could ever completely abandon it, I am excited to explore any idea that I might appear in my sketchbook.
1. For full quote see Goldwater 295, Artists on Art