Sometimes referred to as "marbled", this type of pottery is inspired by naturally occurring agate. To create the swirled aesthetic, I must combine two different colors of clay. I will either use two different kinds of clay such as porcelain stoneware and salmon stoneware, or I will use color dye to create contrasting colors. Once I have my two colors of clay, I use a precise wedging technique to integrate the two. Then, using the potters wheel, I create my form; between the wedging and the spinning of the wheel, a marbled pattern is obtained.
I was inspired by the variety, colors, and exquisite shapes found in the coral reefs. These pieces were all influenced by specific types of coral, from brain coral to fan coral. I emulated the shapes found in coral reefs by using deep grooves and irregular cutouts.
"Sgraffito" is from the Italian word for "to scratch" and it is a decorative technique in ceramics. In order to use this design technique, one must first apply layers of colored slips or underglazes to leather hard pottery. Then, after the slip has hardened, a sharp tool is used in a subtractive method to scratch off the slip and reveal the raw clay underneath, creating contrasting images and patterns.
I had the opportunity to work with visiting artists from Santa Clara Pueblo, New Mexico, when they came to my high school. I worked with them each time they visited for three years in a row, and was slowly able to learn the nuances of their technique. These artists follow traditional methods of digging for local clay and using the coil method, not a potter’s wheel, to build their pots. The high polish is achieved without a glaze. Instead they have perfected a polishing method of rubbing the surface over and over again with a small, natural, polishing stone. The traditional outdoor firing technique is essential to creating these pieces, and involves burning wood and cow manure.
One of the visiting artists was Nancy Youngblood, a Pueblo potter famous for her classic swirling designs and the intense shine she attains. It was exciting to work with Nancy Youngblood and the group of visiting arts and to have the opportunity to work with their clay and follow their methods to produce works in the Jemez style
Sanggam is the Korean art of ceramic inlay. This method uses slips or pigments (traditionally white or black) and sets them into stamped or carved motifs. The most popular Korean designs are often of cranes, clouds, lotuses, willows, and ducks. I devoted an entire semester into researching this method, trying to replicate it in my own work, and then also trying to take this idea and push it further to create something distinctly mine. While studying the sanggam technique and trying to replicate it, I used mostly porcelain clay and a black or dark blue slip. I would carve my design (often cranes, clouds, or gingko leaves which are popular in Korea) and then use a slip trailer to set the pigment into my carving. After waiting for the piece to dry slightly, I would scrape off the excess pigment to reveal my design. After becoming comfortable with replicating the sanggam technique, I tried to push the concept even farther. I experimented with inlay, but instead of inlaying slips or pigments, I inlayed different colors of clay. Both techniques can create an elegant design with unique strengths.
Onggi is Korean earthenware pottery that dates all the way back to 4000 BC. Onggi pots are large storage vessels, often reaching a few feet in height that were primarily used for pickling. Because of the large scale, Korean ceramicists developed precise methods to create these Onggi jars with skill and speed. These methods involved using large coils of clay and wooden paddles that would knead the clay coils together and create a solid, sturdy jar. I researched these techniques and then proceeded to create my own Onggi jars trying the coil method as well as creating my own method. My own method involved using the potters wheel to make sections of the large pot one by one, and then ultimately put together the pieces. These Onggi jars were often very plain given their practical use. I decided to combine the technique of Joseon dynasty sanggam inlay techniques with the Onggi pottery in order to create larger scale vessels that also had stamped or inlay designs.
With these works, I explored creating organic vessels on a larger scale. Similar to the coral-inspired theme, I continued to use meandering lines and openings to evoke shapes found in nature.
With these pieces, I deeply explored the method of incision. I experimented with all different types of negative space and organic edges, attempting to find a balance between precise artistic technique and a natural and free aesthetic.
Extruded forms refer to pieces that begin from crude forms made by an extrusion machine. It is not a mold, but rather a machine which spits out rough tubes in the shape of a cylinder or square. I begin with an extruded from and from there, I alter the form by adding or subtracting clay, cutting grooves, pinching the form or creating texture.
All of these works were made on the potter's wheel. I have been wheel-thowing since the 2nd grade, but more recently I have intensely worked on developing my skills on the wheel. After creating these forms on the potter's wheel, I finished the pieces with different glazing styles and techniques to give each standard form its own personality. Some of the forms were slightly altered with texture and form after they came off the wheel while others obtained more individuality in the glazing and decorative process.
With these pieces I focused on deep carvings to create a compelling, 3D surface. Despite striving to create a light and elegant work, I had to begin with a thick and sturdy piece to ensure that enough clay would remain after carving. I used a subtractive method to carve out all of the clay around my design. That technique allows my design to pop out of the otherwise modest form.
