pinched

5,328 1-1.jpg

5,635 2-1.jpg

coiled

8,194 box-1.jpg

7,205 ns3.jpg

slab formed

4,681 boite1.jpg

6,752 blate1-1.jpg

wheel thrown

4,825 glvase1.jpg

raku	5,027 day20.jpg

concrete/other

4,965 pyralon1.jpg

5,012 b1.jpg

a statement: It may be premature and presumptuous for me to include an *artist's statement* since I am so new to working with clay. However if my photo gallery is not presumptuous then drafting a statement (mainly to clarify things for myself) is no more (nor less) presumptuous. Judge my words by my potz... and vice-versa. In searching for ceramics information on the internet, I encountered the Japanese concepts of wabi and sabi - which I currently interpret as 'earthiness' and 'serenity-wisdom'. A bit on the order of the "as above, so below" theme of Western mythos - tho perhaps more from the other direction. For me anger and social manifestos (as I perceive some works) are more the province of the written word. The mimicry of nature is best served by photographs. Art is about beauty and order. And though some 'functional vessels' are undoubtedly beautiful, I rarely find that their beauty derives solely from their form following their function. Clean and pleasant designs, yes; but not necessarily beautiful. Trees possess beauty, a representation of a tree..... maybe pretty, but rarely beautiful. I think my taste and style may be described as lots of sabi and just a hint of wabi - thoughtful lines and subtle forms (I hope) suggesting though never aping Nature, conceived and implemented as a work of man for use/appreciation by man.

A question I've seen expressed on the web is 'are ceramics Art or Craft?' I have yet to answer this for myself. A Rembrandt or VanGogh, lying by the side of the road, is still obviously a treasure of Art.... a Mingei teacup?.... I am not sure, although I can be moved and excited by their form, color, and texture. Perhaps there needs to be an intermediate term to distinguish between the junk/cute pots of uninspired crafters and those works which eschew mere 'decoration' for artistic ideals of a composition encompassing form, balance, tension, and proportion; which I consider to be basic elements of Design. Neither Art nor Craft exist in a vacuum. I see both as part of the dialog of human society. Perhaps, being non-verbal, I can liken them to facial expressions or body language and therefore purveyors of considered thought and/or emotion. Some thoughts and emotions are bound to be unpleasant or ugly. I may choose to avoid them. But I will not choose to ignore this 'dialect' of human expression. I hope my own work will be a graceful and accurate expression of the language of my vision.