Sunday, May 13, 2007

Martina's turn

So here are my images; basically arranged chronologically. To give a sense of scale, the basket is 10.5" high. The larger blue pitcher is of similar height, the 'bubble bowls' are about 4 - 6" wide. The group of three are vases really, even though they appear to masquerade as tumblers.

























ARTIST STATEMENT -

Things that I love involve crisp sharpness – the bite of a bittersweet dark chocolate, the sting of the breeze on a sunny day in late fall and the unavoidable boldness of the color red. These things also contain within them the memory of childhood, comfort and confidence of life ahead.

It seems in retrospect that my pots have served to emphasize this crisp severity removed from the mark of the handmade. I feel my early earthenware pots have failed to capture the softness and subtle irregularity that serve to emphasize the handmade object in today’s machine made world.

In this spirit, I have begun to explore looser thrown forms, less defined decoration and satin glazes to invite the touch. I am learning it is contrary to my nature to allow glazes to run, lines to blur and edges to wobble. It takes me greater concentration to bring an irregular pot into being than a tight one. I continue to strengthen my forms by consciously incorporating elements throughout foot, handle and rim.