Research Paper, Kaily Craig

This quarter I wanted to focus on natural beauty verses artificial/painting on beauty. While thinking about my concept for all of my pieces I was looking at many different potters for inspiration. I was also looking to see how many other artist use specific tools to get my innovative thoughts flowing to create something new and different.

When it comes to my skill level in pottery I think that I am getting better but I am still a beginner. In the beginning of the quarter when we had to make mugs I wanted to just make a straightforward simple mug that was fairly large. When looking at Courtney Murphy’s mugs (right) I was inspired by the simplicity of her mugs. I am not saying that this Courtney’s work looks like beginners work at all. But sometimes less is more. Although I personally prefer a bigger handle, one that fit more fingers, I really like these mugs. I also really enjoyed the imagery she pained on them. The flowers and tree are simple nature drawings that are not over crowded with imagery or background colors. These mugs were throne on the wheel, they are earthenware, surface treatment was majolica, and was then fired at cone 01. After reading Courtney’s artist statement one of her comments truly spoke to me. She says, “I enjoy the process of scratching into the clay to draw my images. Because of this process, each piece created is unique, and there is a slight variation in each drawing” (3). When creating all my pieces this quarter I carved and drew on all of them and they all are unique and one of a kind even if they belong in a set.

Another artist that interested my fancy was Hayne Bayless. I found these tumblers of his (left) and loved them. I was intrigued by the stencil work he had done on these cups and I thought that I could try something similar with my surface techniques on my pottery. Also, I like the background he chose to use. The lines in the black look like wind blowing through the blades of grass. While I was still looking through his work I found many of his pieces with leaf patters on them. For example this image (right) of little box he made. This stenciled work really inspired mine this quarter. When reading about Hayne I was surprised to learn that most of his work is hand built. This is a technique that I need to get better at and it is nice to see a beautiful tumbler/cup made out of sables and not just one that has been throne off the wheel. “Hayne explains that his pots are not so much about harmony, although that does happen, but more about tension. I love what spawns in the friction between what I want the material to do and what it would rather do” (2). I like his theory on the clay. With only the little experience I have, I’ve realized that more times then less, weather it is the clay, slip, or glaze I use it never really comes out like I planned.

When I was looking for more nature patterns to use for my pottery I was also looking at artist work such as Linda Arbuckle and Richard Burkett. I very much enjoy the painterly quality of Linda’s surface work in both images of the red bowl and tan tray above. Her depiction of leaves and plumbs are flowing and playful. I like that her pieces don’t seem straight edge and hard but that they feel more feminim to me. Which is exactly what I was trying to go for with all my pieces. Because, along with the nature inspired aspects of my surface work I wanted my pieces to be curvy like a woman’s figure. So to balance out my painting on my pieces with the nature aspects I wanted to make a very straight and angular face to represent artificial beauty. The face I drew is similar to this image (right). Rimas VisGirda made this sculpture and he states, “My work is influenced by the culture I live in, the machine age, the urban environment, the media, and fad and fashion” (1). After reading his artist statement it felt like he was taking the words out of my mouth. What is trying to express is exactly half of what I am trying to show in my work. This body of work I have made represents a battle between which is better natural beauty or the artificial beauty that we make up our selves into be with clothes, makeup, jewelry etcetera. I really enjoy all of Rimas’s work and I love the cartoon aspects of it.

As well as making cup, tumblers, and mugs I made trays and lidded vessels this quarter. The surface work and form construction I used to make these objects were the same as what I have explained above. An example of one of the tray I made is similar to Gwendolyn Yoppolo’s work. (left) I made two bowls and adhered them together with a handle in the center. I love the versatility of this type of try. It can be used for so many things. Gwendolyn even says her self, “The pieces I make are questions, and they remain open-ended until fulfilled through use” (4). I like the way she states that and for this in particular dish of hers represents just that.

The potters I have listed in this paper are just a few of the many different artists I have been and will continue to look at for inspiration. They have helped me come up with new ideas on how to express my opinions visually through my pottery.

Work cited:

(1) Rimas VisGirda , http://www.ceramicstoday.com/potw/rimas_visgirda.htm

(2) Hayne Bayless http://www.sidewaysstudio.com/potter.html

(3) Courtney Murphy, http://www.courtneymurphy.net/statement.html

Images 1 - 8, http://accessceramics.org/

(4) Gwendolyn Yoppolo, http://www.gwendolynyoppolo.com/statement.html