Youthful Days

My work acknowledges the inherent complexities of childhood and activates our own bittersweet memories of it. Not all childhood memories are filled with 'lollipops and lullabies,' though they are the ones we would most likely prefer to remember. Our memories have an amazing capacity to recall the moments in our lives when we were the most emotionally affected. Some of these moments we cherish, while others we would just as soon forget. Our memories of both extremes (and everything in between) contribute to shaping who we are, how we see ourselves, and how we view others. Childhood is a fragile time. It is a time during which self-discovery is dependent on the presence and affirmation of others.

Clay as a material is also fragile. Raw clay, like children, contains seeds of potential and, yet, both by nature are vulnerable; they cannot hide their imperfections. My work celebrates this fragility of clay and the coiling process by allowing the material and the craft to be seen. By exposing the coils, the history of each piece and the evidence of its maker are revealed. The exterior surface records the impression of a thumb as it glides along the ropes of clay. The layered surface looks knit-together as the coils wrap around each curve and bind every limb. The malleability of the clay is restricted only by the handling of the coils. It is my goal to preserve this hand-crafted method as well as enhance its capabilities.

Through the process of coiling and in keeping within the ceramics tradition, each child's form is a completed vessel; the form begins with a pair of awkward feet and concludes with a deliberately curious gesture. By specifically crafting an archetype of the child figure to be believable rather than literal, I have pushed the limits of how figurative a vessel can be. My result is the abstract figure. My work conveys the image of childhood, or youthful days, as perceived by the passage of time and the distortion of memory. These ceramic figures exist in a peculiar reality that hovers somewhere between an unconscious daydream and a nostalgic experience. When we ponder our days of youth gone by, our reflections radiate emotions of joy as well as sadness, the tenderness of love as well as the pain of loss. What significance do we place on childhood? How do we grapple with our memories?