Potters wheel from Chennai India
|
|
Artist Statement
Normally when I hear or see a request for an “artist statement” my eyes roll back into my head and my stomach turns! I have simply seen too many of these “statements” that are nothing more than artistic psychobabble that means little to the reader.
I do not wish to go into a heady discussion about why I make my pots the way I do. However, I will tell you why I have chosen this occupation as my livelihood.
I like the fact that I wake up each day not wondering what I have to do but rather what I get to do.
I love clay. I love the feel of clay, its smell, its manipulative nature, and its capabilities. I like the fact that a coffee mug I sell today could be dug up hundreds of years from now unchanged.
In this age of mass-produced wares I find it important to incorporate handmade items into our lives. Does coffee actually taste better out of a well-made, hand-thrown mug? I suppose it does not. It does, however, feel better in the hand and on the lips. It is simply a more personal experience to drink and eat out of handmade pottery. I know that when I choose a mug in the morning it feels like I am having coffee with the maker of that mug.
I find it very gratifying to make pots of purpose. I like the thought of my pottery being part of another person’s life, being used and perhaps being someone’s “favorite” coffee mug or bowl. I look forward to many, many years of creating, playing, and yes, even failing in my efforts to create. I look forward to that one special glaze I discover, whether that discovery is through calculation or accident.
Each time I enter my studio I know the possibilities are endless and that nothing is for sure. I embrace this and welcome all the surprises this art has to offer.
Todd Feazell
Feazell Pottery
2016
Normally when I hear or see a request for an “artist statement” my eyes roll back into my head and my stomach turns! I have simply seen too many of these “statements” that are nothing more than artistic psychobabble that means little to the reader.
I do not wish to go into a heady discussion about why I make my pots the way I do. However, I will tell you why I have chosen this occupation as my livelihood.
I like the fact that I wake up each day not wondering what I have to do but rather what I get to do.
I love clay. I love the feel of clay, its smell, its manipulative nature, and its capabilities. I like the fact that a coffee mug I sell today could be dug up hundreds of years from now unchanged.
In this age of mass-produced wares I find it important to incorporate handmade items into our lives. Does coffee actually taste better out of a well-made, hand-thrown mug? I suppose it does not. It does, however, feel better in the hand and on the lips. It is simply a more personal experience to drink and eat out of handmade pottery. I know that when I choose a mug in the morning it feels like I am having coffee with the maker of that mug.
I find it very gratifying to make pots of purpose. I like the thought of my pottery being part of another person’s life, being used and perhaps being someone’s “favorite” coffee mug or bowl. I look forward to many, many years of creating, playing, and yes, even failing in my efforts to create. I look forward to that one special glaze I discover, whether that discovery is through calculation or accident.
Each time I enter my studio I know the possibilities are endless and that nothing is for sure. I embrace this and welcome all the surprises this art has to offer.
Todd Feazell
Feazell Pottery
2016