Work from my post-baccalaureate year at Kent State University, 2017-18.
All work is red stoneware fired to cone 6 in oxidation.
Artist Statement 2017-18
The imbued silence of a convent cloister continues to haunt me long after I departed Italy. I am interested in the functional quiet of a space or object and the pervasive but unobtrusive structure that creates that space: repeating archways, mismatched columns, and the visual vibration between seemingly disparate aesthetic features. I seek to cultivate this functional framework, inherent quietness, and occasional dissonance through the use and display of my functional ceramics.
Unlike maiolica pots contemporaneous with the cloisters that I am fond of, I use a monotone pallet that allows for less visual pollution on the pots, and therefore a clearer path to focus on structure and function. Rigid architectural lines bookend soft, curvaceous forms, creating a distinct weight and physical presence. As its propensity for volume and containment suggests, my tableware is designed for service. It functions humbly despite a false sense of grandeur hinted at by pedestalled bases and ornamental handles. My work tows a line of chaste opulence that reveres amiability and etiquette rather than extravagance.