The Object’s Function

I make pots in response to an attraction to the beauty of form and a fascination for materials and process. I believe the ceramic vessel should be pure, honest, and simple – utilitarian forms requiring a high level of craftsmanship and relationship between the artist and material. The transformation of decomposed matter into almost crystallized stone is powerful to me. The responsive nature of clay to the touch and its ability to record process and time is enthralling. Ceramic pottery is a unique tradition that has touched almost every civilization known to man and continues to appeal to us even amid the fast- paced high-tech culture of today. Being a part of this tradition also drives my interest in ceramic pottery. For a potter, art is a lifestyle: creating forms with purpose to be used and shared. I align myself with such classic potters as Hamada and Mackenzie. Their ceramic works are readily accessible and easily approachable by the ordinary person and does not require intellectual depth to be appreciated. My current work is an exploration of form. Though I have built many different kinds of vessels they fall into traditional categories: bottles, bowls, and cups. All I am choosing to accomplish is a formal analysis and investigation of the dialogue between function and form