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The vessel, whether functional or sculptural, has been a continuous element of my art throughout my career. In my artwork, utilitarian forms become metaphors for personal and social connections. I’m interested in how objects become an integral part of a person’s life, developing their own histories, containing memories and emotions, and embodying ritual and play.
My early work consisted of sculptural vessels exploring ideas of beauty, gender, and alternate functionality. This work was elaborately decorated, references included Rococo furniture and Victorian tableware. I pushed functional forms to absurd levels and gently questioned notions of gender expectations in our society. My work is often silly and lighthearted. I utilize humor and nostalgia to bring attention to overlooked ideas. I have long been interested in drawing attention to the smaller animals that live in the backyards of the boreal forest. After teaching in Louisiana for an academic year, I returned to Fairbanks with a strong desire to reconnect with my local environment. In 2020, I began participating in an art/humanities/science collaborative project, In a Time Of Change(ITOC) As part of this group, I have been able to hear from local scientists about their research and work closely with other artists who are also interested in the natural environment of the Boreal forest. My pottery has become the animals of the Boreal Forest: I transform lids into snowshoe hare heads or cups into squirrels, combining full three-dimensional alterations with simple line drawings. I have always loved the contrast of porcelain against earthenware. The warm red clay elevates and highlights the cool, glassy white clay. However, lately, I have been featuring the rich earthenware. In Dec 2021, I completed a body of work commemorating Alaskan animals impacted by house cat predation. While creating this work, I became enamored with the ferocity of the little-seen shrew. Shrews are generally solitary animals and will fight most animals that come in their path including each other. I envisioned a scene of a shrew tea party; individually the shrews are happily going about their business, but if they were to come together (as depicted in my tea set “ShrewTea Party'') they would engage in a savage battle to the death, spilling tea everywhere... |
