I make curved, voluptuous functional pots that are based on sensuality. The pots are made with expanded, arched forms that swell like ripe fruit, and tuck into each other. Through the use of porcelain clay and soft matte glazes, my work lures the viewer into touching the pieces. Once picked up, the pieces will delight the tactile senses with the pleasing smooth river-rock-like surface, while also creating a visual surprise for the person engaged with the piece through the use of brightly colored interior glazes. The swelling of the forms is carefully considered in the making of the pieces, and oversized attachments are added for balance and humor.

In his book Ceramics, Philip Rawson goes into great detail about memory traces and their relationship to experiencing art. All encounters with art are filtered through memory traces. Memory traces are a set of unconscious values that influence the spectator’s experience with art and specifically ceramics based upon their earlier impressions when experiencing something similar. An example is the feel of a down-filled comforter, its soft weight recalls memory traces of a mother’s comforting bosom. The memory traces at work in this body of work are the memory of comforts through the physical act of holding something smooth and heavy. The work also recalls security through abundance.

Proportional relationships play an important role because they accentuate the ample volume. This accentuation is used to create an absurdity, while also breaking the space up into beautiful and balanced parts. An oversized knob atop a voluminous lid on a casserole dish implies indulgence because it fills the entire hand with a soft round knob and it does so while the user is embarking on the act of eating. The exterior glazes are matte with dramatic color variation and are applied specifically to accentuate bulbous parts. The surfaces are meant to be admired for their color variation and layering. The exterior colors are muted tones of brown, pink, yellow, green, and blue. The colors shift from dark to light as the pass along a form change on the piece, much like an open field, or vast prairie. The interior glazes are transparent and shiny, with crisp blues and pinks that contrast the quiet exterior.

The purpose for giving these experiences within the work is to provide the user with a shared human experience. The memory traces of physical comfort through touch is universal. When holding and enjoying the work, I hope the user will be reminded of their commonality amongst their fellow humans. The universality of the experience of enjoying the use of a hand-made object, will transcend social and material boundaries.