Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Artist Statement

How does one encapsulate their work and motivations in one paragraph? I made an artist's statement a couple of years ago when I first started applying for shows. I pulled it out to use in an application this week and found that it really didn't fit anymore. Here's my attempt at a new one:

My life and art are a study in controlled chaos. As a full time stay-at-home mother/potter with a two-year old toddler, I am constantly challenged to embrace the spontaneous while at the same time endeavoring to create structure and stability. So it is with my art. Randomly carved leaves and textures sprout from vessels built over days and sometimes weeks of repetitive coiling and pinching. Other carefully constructed and tediously burnished forms are subjected to an open pit-firing where their final coloring will be a serendipitous combination of fire, smoke, and breeze. My never-ending aspiration is to keep balance between the controllable and
 chaotic, to create artwork and home that are both coherent and full of vitality.


It was slightly ironic to latch on "controlled chaos" as my thesis this week as my husband, daughter, and I are all in recovery from a nasty flu bug, the house is a disastrous mess, and I'm about a week behind in my studio. Life is good :)

2 comments:

Pam McFadyen said...

Your statement sounds perfect. I always struggle with them as well but I think that you caught the essence of your work in that brief paragraph. Kudos!

Tara said...

Thanks so much Pam!