Learn from the past...

I am regularly amazed by the power of artifacts. Objects can translate intent, skill, function, place, and time, causing us to reflect upon the maker and past users. By incorporating basketry patterns on the surface of my pots, I am creating a connection to my heritage. My family made baskets back many generations. With my vessels, the patterns are incomplete and fade as they weave around the forms. This reflects the nature of objects that have been used to the point of collapse. We live in a society driven by partial consumption and indiscriminant disposal. When something exhibits wear, we get a new one. But I believe that wear and the patina of age generally improves aesthetics. A good repair can be a point of interest and suggest a narrative. I am using the language of basketry carved into the surface of clay to express human conditions including frailty, durability, repair, exigency, and reliability. These objects are signifiers of history, utility, and kinship.

Process

My work usually begins on the potter’s wheel. I am heavily influenced by the Catawba Valley potters of the 19th Century, and I use many of their techniques including “capping”. The process involves removing the top third of the pot, pulling the bottom section without the extra weight, then immediately replacing the “cap” to finish the pot. When it firms up a bit, I draw patterns based on the shape of the form, historical basket-weave geometry, and the destructive effects of entropy. The designs are relief carved with knife and chisel to a depth most appropriate for the form. I use homemade brushes to enliven the surface with glaze. The geometric patterns can get quite stodgy, so the loose gestural nature of my brushing technique allows me the freedom to be a bit expressionistic. After firing to over 2300ºF, I sand and smooth the entire surface. The finishing touch is a rubbing with black stain and a final firing to about 2200ºF.