I am a clay artist.  I use porcelain to create wall pieces and vessels.  My work references things that grow in the natural world.  I sense a similar pattern in the way that art and living things develop over time.  A seedling alters as it stretches to the light, seeking nourishment, and making way for other things to grow. For a work of art, particularly in clay, the original plan changes in the struggle between the artist's intention and chance.  The qualities of the clay, the way that it dries, the various materials that are applied to it and the firing process all cannot be entirely anticipated or controlled.  Memories of art from the past also push against the original idea as the work takes shape. As in nature, when a work of art grows beyond the original seed, what develops is more authentic and complex than what was first imagined.  It becomes a finer imperfect. 

 

The first piece in my series of wall pieces was titled Chorus.  The theme has remained central to my work.  As in a piece of music, though each “voice” is distinct, the synthesis of many voices is more powerful than any individual one.  In the same way, although an identical process directs the formation of each of my small elements from bits of clay, the pieces created are all slightly different from one another.  When the elements are assembled, there is a resonance in the tension between the sameness of all the elements and the subtle but distinct variation between them.

 

The hand built vessels that I make are purposely begun with structures that are off center.  The lack of "center" enables me to work in a freer and more spontaneous way and often employs experimental techniques and materials.  The extensive alteration of the surface and the use of fragmented, hand-built elements, speak about how things grow and weather over time.  Porcelain for me is not about perfection, but rather, about flexibility and strength.  I work primarily with pigments, clear glaze and 22k gold luster and leaf.  Visual complexity and weathering are developed with repeated applications of these materials in numerous firing cycles.  Additional clay elements are also added as the work progresses.    

 

I am interested in the persistence of beauty in the world.  Beauty has no intention, it simply exists.  It is identified only by the observer, but it has great power. Beauty defies what is ugly in the world.  It affirms the alternative.  In these days of political and social upheaval, I hope that my work inspires people and asks them to reflect upon how we are made, layer by layer, and altered by the forces of identity, nature and society.  I want the viewer to examine what is common in all of us and celebrate the beauty and complexity of our differences.