Artist Statement
The Earth has been a constantly changing landscape for 4.5 billion years which is a fact that humans have difficulty fully connecting with on a personal level. We see the idea of our planet as it is now and do not appreciate the geological history that allows the sum we see before us to exist. Our globe will continue to transform the horizons we now know into unrecognizable spaces, and the plants and animals we cohabitate with will become extinct. The world we know and experience is temporary.
Documenting the landscapes we currently see, the ecology able to thrive within them, and the geological history that is responsible for these things is the heart of my work. By using the medium of clay the work is directly connected to the past Earth. Millions of years of weathering created the materials used and by firing them in a kiln they again are changed in a dynamic way.
Inclusion of clays, rocks, and other minerals from a specific location brings the idea of time and place into the work. By finding and using these items I am able to directly draw from the geological history of a location and record it in ceramic form. The previous events that formed these materials create the current state of the landscape we observe. Through sketching these scenes in clay the present phase of the land is archived.
The complicated and specific timelines of past geological events support the ability of the ecosystems of today to thrive. The plants that grow are incorporated in work by using the ash from burn piles to create a glaze. Fresh plant cuttings are utilized to make ceramic molds to directly replicate from. The pushing of clay into these impressions preserves the textural relief of botanical life creating examples that are similar to fossils. The existing plant and animal diversity is also cataloged in the body of drawn images in clay.
These ideas challenge the viewer to contemplate the impermanence of the world around them in order to more fully appreciate this specific moment in time on Earth. By connecting with our planet’s timeline and moving beyond the human perception of time we understand the true and temporary beauty surrounding us.
Documenting the landscapes we currently see, the ecology able to thrive within them, and the geological history that is responsible for these things is the heart of my work. By using the medium of clay the work is directly connected to the past Earth. Millions of years of weathering created the materials used and by firing them in a kiln they again are changed in a dynamic way.
Inclusion of clays, rocks, and other minerals from a specific location brings the idea of time and place into the work. By finding and using these items I am able to directly draw from the geological history of a location and record it in ceramic form. The previous events that formed these materials create the current state of the landscape we observe. Through sketching these scenes in clay the present phase of the land is archived.
The complicated and specific timelines of past geological events support the ability of the ecosystems of today to thrive. The plants that grow are incorporated in work by using the ash from burn piles to create a glaze. Fresh plant cuttings are utilized to make ceramic molds to directly replicate from. The pushing of clay into these impressions preserves the textural relief of botanical life creating examples that are similar to fossils. The existing plant and animal diversity is also cataloged in the body of drawn images in clay.
These ideas challenge the viewer to contemplate the impermanence of the world around them in order to more fully appreciate this specific moment in time on Earth. By connecting with our planet’s timeline and moving beyond the human perception of time we understand the true and temporary beauty surrounding us.