Artist's
Statement
I make
wood fired utilitarian pottery. Behind the creation of these vessels
are several driving philosophies. These philosophies guide all aspects
of my work.
I believe
in making pots for everyday use, that work well for the functions
intended.
My
work is made in harmony with the choice of firing method. Firing
with wood has several inherent qualities. These kilns have a distinct
wind and directionality to them. The pots I make are made of clay
bodies that are reactive to variations in temperature and atmosphere.
The wood produces ash which lands on the pots and melts, forming
a naturally occurring glaze. The structural qualities of the pots,
in form and texture, are made to catch wood ash, controlling and
encouraging the pooling of this glaze. My work is made in dialogue
with the effects of the kiln. As each body of work is fired, questions
are answered and new ones are posed in a progressive conversation
with the firing technique. Wood-firing is a process rich in variables.
I believe
in making the pots with a revelation of process. I integrate throwing
lines and evidence of human touch into surface design, I do not
hide attachments of handles or spouts. I seek the inherent qualities
in the marks different tools make and I approach each individual
pot with a similar feel though the tool might differ. This revelation
of process harmonizes with the choice of wood-firing. Ware from
a wood kiln speaks loudly about its making. I also seek to express
an integrity of emotion. Each pot holds an exploration of mood,
as I harmonize the foot of the pot with the rim and the handle with
the spout, in an attempt to create a unified work. Much of my work
reflects a playful humor that pervades my life, and feeds my spirit.
Utilitarian
pots may never be part of an avant-garde, a cup lacks the shock
value typically associated avant-garde movements. Yet artistic potters
are privy to a unique and subversive role in contemporary art.;
whereas much of 20th Century art has been an attempt to merge art
and life, pulling Art out of museums, or bringing life into the
setting of the museum, the functional pot continues to hold a place
in everyone's home. It is in the home, rather than an artistic institution,
that I feel we potters should exploit. A cup is one of the first
things we hold in morning, and often one of the last thing we touch
at night. By reintroducing artistic ware into the home we can reconnect
art and the everyday.
Simon
Levin
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