One of the most important parts of creating art work is having an artist statement. It indicates the nature of the work you are creating and the outcome you hope the viewer will take away from it.
When I started grad school at Texas A&M Commerce I fell in love with ceramics. Being a cousin of fused glass, ceramics can be manipulated in some really unique ways.
What I most love in ceramics is Raku - the process of rapid firing clay, catching it on fire and cooling it down rapidly. The quick expansion causes glazes to crack and shrink away from the clay body and can make for some really cool looks.
My artist statement is this:
I am exploring the relationship between ceramics and glass as it relates to the raku technique. By manipulating clay with extreme temperature swings, I aim to create tension between the mediums to produce unique works of art.
I am also interested in developing textural art forms with clay and fused glass. Using my existing knowledge of the nature of fused glass, I hope to find a balance that enhances both forms.
Some of the artists I’m most inspired by are Dylan Beck, Steven Forbes-deSoule, Kate Malone, Christina Bothwell, and Carol Milne.
Dylan Beck is a sculptural ceramacist who specializes in clay and glass sculptures. His artist statement is this: His artwork explores the interaction of human activities with the natural environment and the idea that we are currently living in the Anthropocene, where human activities have had a significant global impact on the Earth's ecosystems.
Steven Forbes-deSoule creates spectacular works of raku art. His artist statement is this: The one constant with my raku pottery work throughout the years has been transformation. As a raku artist, I find it fun and challenging to try new things, and I especially enjoy developing new glaze recipes. I started firing using the raku process in 1981 and found the element of serendipity and surprise to be invigorating. Consequently, all of my firings since then have been raku.
Kate Malone is a glaze master, creating larger-than-life sculptures of real life objects. Her artist statement is this: Hand skills are at the core of the way that I work, conveying a sense of pleasure in materials and transmitting symbolic optimism is my objective.
Christina Bothwell creates etharial sculptures with glass and ceramics. Her artist statement is this: Since I was very young, I have been fascinated with the concept of the Soul… the idea that the physical body represents only a small part of our beingness. I am always interested in trying to express the that we are more than just our bodies, and my ongoing spiritual interests and pursuits have run parallel to the narrative in my pieces.
Carol Milne is a fused glass artist who creates lost wax castings of sculptures that look like knitted yarn. Her artist statement is this: I see my knitted work as metaphor for social structure. Individual strands are weak and brittle on their own, but deceptively strong when bound together. You can crack or break single threads without the whole structure falling apart. And even when the structure is broken, pieces remain bound together. The connections are what bring strength and integrity to the whole and what keep it intact.
It is truly inspiring to hear how others speak about their work.
