Artist Statement
Over my years in undergrad, I have worked to create a voice for myself through my work. I find that although I use my art to work through issues that my voice cannot speak, people are able to relate to them in one way or another. The themes of my work, most often told through the double-walled circle, are loss, the human condition, a duality of nature and industrialism, and chaos or the absence thereof.
My most recent work has become focused quite heavily on the double-walled circle and sculptural forms, whereas my previous work has been primarily functional wares. I've made the conscious decision to force myself out of functional ware and into a position of coercing my work to the brink of failure. I believe that pushing the limits of clay creates and intense dance of passion and heartbreak.
The majority of my recent work is wheel-thrown and heavily hand altered. I believe that this allows me to more clearly communicate my thoughts and intentions. Additionally, I use a broad range of texturing techniques from subtractive sculpting, to indentation, which allows intriguing and engaging surfaces. I also primarily use glazes produced by hand, as I've found that I'm able to create more sophisticated surfaces, similar to that of a reduction-fire. Having a hand in each step, from mixing my own clay to making my own glazes keeps me engaged throughout my process. Recently I've turned to airbrushing and spraying my glazes, as it gives me more control over application and allows me to influence runs and drips.
I believe that my work resides with in a realm of avant-garde art, as I often battle between minimalism and abstract expressionism. My functional ware offers a similar taste, where I often work to create a classically beautiful piece, then distort and deform. Some pots, however, I take a more conservative approach with, to allow the beauty of the form to speak for itself. In my non-ceramic work, I am heavily influenced by similar theory, and even work to create pieces that complement my forms and vessels.
My sources of imagery come from all over the world, as the circle is symbolic to every culture throughout art history, through themes of self, spiritualism, and eternity. I am also heavily influenced by Greek, Roman, Early American, and post-1945 Japanese ceramics, I find that each categorically holds beauty and expression of their eras. However, my work is not only inspired by ceramics, I am also inspired and informed by the works of Robert Motherwell, Alexander Calder, Willem De Kooning, and David Smith.
My most recent work has become focused quite heavily on the double-walled circle and sculptural forms, whereas my previous work has been primarily functional wares. I've made the conscious decision to force myself out of functional ware and into a position of coercing my work to the brink of failure. I believe that pushing the limits of clay creates and intense dance of passion and heartbreak.
The majority of my recent work is wheel-thrown and heavily hand altered. I believe that this allows me to more clearly communicate my thoughts and intentions. Additionally, I use a broad range of texturing techniques from subtractive sculpting, to indentation, which allows intriguing and engaging surfaces. I also primarily use glazes produced by hand, as I've found that I'm able to create more sophisticated surfaces, similar to that of a reduction-fire. Having a hand in each step, from mixing my own clay to making my own glazes keeps me engaged throughout my process. Recently I've turned to airbrushing and spraying my glazes, as it gives me more control over application and allows me to influence runs and drips.
I believe that my work resides with in a realm of avant-garde art, as I often battle between minimalism and abstract expressionism. My functional ware offers a similar taste, where I often work to create a classically beautiful piece, then distort and deform. Some pots, however, I take a more conservative approach with, to allow the beauty of the form to speak for itself. In my non-ceramic work, I am heavily influenced by similar theory, and even work to create pieces that complement my forms and vessels.
My sources of imagery come from all over the world, as the circle is symbolic to every culture throughout art history, through themes of self, spiritualism, and eternity. I am also heavily influenced by Greek, Roman, Early American, and post-1945 Japanese ceramics, I find that each categorically holds beauty and expression of their eras. However, my work is not only inspired by ceramics, I am also inspired and informed by the works of Robert Motherwell, Alexander Calder, Willem De Kooning, and David Smith.