ARTIST STATEMENT
Of all that ceramic art encompasses, it is the chemistry of the glaze that calls to me the most. The practice of cataloging, grinding, and measuring components of the earth, combining these in the right quantities, then heating them to a predetermined glass structure certainly treads the lines of alchemy.
Everything has a structure that is and will be… even the universe stretches outward from it’s center, repeating itself within a certain framework.
Glass is categorized by the existence or absence of an intricate array known as a lattice structure. When melted and cooled rapidly, glass has little chance to revert to a crystalline state, thereby appearing clear or translucent. If cooled slowly, crystalline structures can fill the entire matrix. Understanding this, macro-crystalline glazed ceramic art is a conscious directing of a natural tendency, with a focus on the balance available in designing and sustaining the right environment.
Although the glaze can result in a dynamic visual, I do not believe that the potential (or the loss rate) should allow for undemanding palettes. The ceramic vessel is more than a representation of functional pottery -it is an artistic celebration of over 10,000 years of shapes formed by the human hand. A balance must be reached wherein the form reflects the skill and confidence of it’s maker, while still existing as an effective liaison toward the overall presentation.
Titles become subjective as I struggle for my own.
As the term perfectionist carries with it a degree of negativity, I do like -precisionist.
As “artist” may qualify prestige, higher prices, and access to grants, it’s modern role too often eludes me. The more I learn about art, it’s history, and the current semantic state, the more I welcome the designation of “Craftsman”. Acknowledging arguments concerning it’s divergence from art, craftsmanship is both genuinely spiritual and corporeal in its nature.
As my own art-felt expressions lie in a simple search for balance, beauty, and grace… I do hold that we could all benefit from a little more. So here continues the exploration of these traits in my own life, holding a steady focus on crystal lattice, thoughtfully structured around select measures of earth.
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For a detailed account of how I make my work, click the Process page.