Segmented Wares
This body of work is an investigation of a specific method of making as an attempt to identify the subtleties of form and surface. The segmenting of my work I see as a direct response to the seams of cast iron water kettles and construction methods I witnessed in Jingdezhen, China. The segmenting construction of porcelain is used in modern times to make large forms and historically to create forms that could not be thrown as a single piece because of material limitations.
I am interested in the act of construction, deconstruction, reconstruction. As an investigation of each form, the pinching thins each wall, creating a final form that is more volumous than the original. The pinching also creates a subdued texture that I believe causes the viewers’ eye to catch the subtleties of the form differently than had the texture not been there. Whether it seems to be complex or not, I do believe this method of making allows me to simplify and better understand each form by having to slow-down, dissect and reconstruct each piece.
