My artwork is what I refer to as “Industrial Pottery”, and is the result of combining elegant, classical ceramic forms with various metal components. The combination of these two materials is meant to perplex and entice the viewer into questioning the status quo of what pottery should look like and whether or not function has to be its main objective. By utilizing useful negative space and porous metal components like expanded metal, my artwork also offers a look at the interior of the pottery that would otherwise be almost completely obstructed. The result is an intimate perspective that has nothing to hide and invites the viewer to explore the unity of the contradicting clay and metal surfaces, top to bottom, inside and out.
The unlikely marriage between clay and steel was an inevitable one for me. The opposing qualities of two materials have always fascinated me. The strength, durability, and ruggedness of metal evokes in me romantic feelings of manliness and timelessness. Clay is infinitely malleable and forgiving when wet, and once fired is extremely strong, but fragile. The joining of the two creates a unique aesthetic that has a rather unconventional balance of properties. Although the metal components, glazing techniques, and processes I undertake vary slightly between my pieces, my methodology remains consistent. The juxtaposition of pristine classical forms, rigid, sometimes rusted and worn
The juxtaposition of pristine classical forms, rigid, sometimes rusted and worn metal, and negative space directly forces viewers to take a critical look at the expectations they have for a vessel, and ceramics as a whole. By expanding or altering vessels with expanded metal, rebar, or steel cut by a CNC machine, the assumed function becomes ambiguous. The form created is more sculptural in nature, and its functionality drastically altered, although not completely denied.
When I alter a vessel with steel and negative space, I expose entirely original perspectives of forms people have been exposed to their entire life. By allowing an interior view of the work, it draws the attention of the viewer to the previously unappreciated inner half of the piece. Taking something or someone at face value will never expose its true beauty, and I exemplify this by allowing the viewer to become visually intimate with every surface of my artwork.