STATEMENT
The environment in which an artist makes their work can have a monumental influence over the outcome of their work. Having spent the past four years making art in New York City, it is evident that the bold geometric lines and structured architecture have profoundly impacted my art and aesthetic. Naturally, my private space has been impacted as well, since these works now fill my home. Environment influences the outcome of work and, for potters, that work becomes their environment. This idea drives me and fuels my passion for functional pottery.
By immersing myself in my chosen environment and using it as inspiration to create functional objects with clay, I am able to enrich both private and public spaces. Ceramics is simultaneously the vehicle for this enrichment and the enrichment itself. An object holds meaning for a singular viewer, who likely is attached to the object itself. An object also attracts conversation and shared interaction between multiple viewers, who value the communal experience.
It is often thought that the role of functional wares is simply to present food. It is my belief, however, that with the availability of dishes and tableware that are mass- produced, inexpensive, and easily replaceable, the necessity of handmade functional goods becomes less about the utility and more about the communal contact it invites. Handmade pots become part of the effort an individual can put toward constructing their environment and building a life that is nourishing and fulfilling.