Why Pottery? A Simple Yet Powerful Question For Local Artists

Considering the art of pottery and ceramics as a whole, thinking about what you are doing is only part of the picture. It is always important to also do some digging into why you do what you do. For some, pottery is an escape. For others, pottery is simply a means to make a living. Whether pottery is your hobby, or if you have pieces in galleries and museums, knowing why you create can propel your work and lead to better fulfillment from the craft.

I posed this question to some local artists. A simple two-word question has yielded some truly inspiring and thoughtful responses from these talented artists. Below you will be able to read how they answered as well as find links to see more of their work.

The artists included are: Serei Reifman, Sam Ott, Danielle Gyles, Liam Grinton, Sarah Folsom, and Greg Nelson.

Serei Bumble Reifman

“Pottery is the synthesis of earth, water and fire. It is equal parts chemistry, alchemy, skill and intuition, with a dash of luck to keep it interesting. It is unpredictable and seldom presents an eternally solvable problem. It is ever-growing and ever-changing; a microcosm of our earth at large, being shaped by the water and fire, giving it the shape we see once it is done being fired.”

Check out Serei’s work on Instagram here: @adventuresinclayceramics

Sam Ott

“Clay is of the earth. Pottery and the act of working with clay creates an incomparable connection with mother Gaia when we form and transform the clay with our hands and tools into everlasting ceramic objects. As the clay is turned to ceramic, the history of the clay object is now immortal to tell its story. Functional, sculptural, and even shattered into pieces: those ceramic objects will stand until the end of time.

If only we could hear the stories of the historic pots and ceramic objects in museums across the world or in dirt of the desert and layers under the earth.

Pottery dates back to the beginnings of humanity, when we utilized its traits for function in vessels and tools. The sharing of knowledge within a growing clay community allows for everyone to gain knowledge and practice skills to then be passed along to peers and down to future generations.”

Check out Sam’s work here: @samottpots and www.samottpots.com

Danielle Gyles

“Working with clay is like time traveling for me. While working with clay I imagine the individuals of the past, throughout various cultures sculpting clay into vessels to be used to carry water, store oil, and age wine. Humanity’s ability to turn a shapeless lump of earth into a vessel capable of holding what sustains and nourishes humanity making the vessel essential to humanity.”

See more of Danielle’s work here: www.daniellegyles.com

Liam Grinton

“Pottery is as much about learning and personal growth as it is about clay. As is the case with all crafts, you never stop learning. And clay is an excellent teacher. Clay teaches patience, persistence, and humility. Pottery has a nearly endless list of possible mistakes, defects, and variables that can lead to failure, or sometimes, unforeseen beauty. It is impossible to account for all of them in the making process and loss is expected, not dreaded.

By embracing the craft of the potter, you embrace chance. You embrace uncertainty, and that uncertainty makes success just that much sweeter. Every kiln opening is a mixture of joy, disappointment, and usually a bit of mystery. There is no easy way to make pottery, and thank the ‘kiln gods’ for that, because it is precisely that challenge that makes the craft so very rewarding to pursue. When you hold a pot a friend made, you hold a piece of them. Their soul, their determination, their personality, and their experiences are within it, and give it its beauty. And that, in essence is why I make pots. I make pots because I hold the pots and those who make them close to my heart; and by using them daily I get joy not just from the contents, but from the vessel itself. It is my hope that I can give someone else some of that joy as well when they use my ware.”

Check out more of Liam’s work here: @liamgrinton

Sarah Folsom

“I think part of the reason I am so drawn to working with clay is because it is a process-based art medium. Ceramics has a rich history, and it has been a part of every civilization. Even with it being such a historic art form, there is much to experiment and play with because of the many steps that go into creating a ceramic piece. From leather hard, to bone dry, to bisque ware, and glazing, each stage allows for its own unique experimentation to shape the final outcome of the piece. Each stage also has room for mistakes and mishaps which is part of the thrill that comes from working with ceramics.”

Check out more of Sara’s work here: @sarahfolsom.art and sarahfolsom-art.format.com

Greg Nelson

“Why ceramics indeed… My entire artistic practice is an effort to balance the hyper-organized side of my personality that comes from years of military service to the loose chill artistic person that I was always meant to be. Because of that, I spend much of my time focusing on balance. In my painting process, this involves doing side-by-side canvases, one abstract and one figurative. Relating to ceramics, creating functional vessels that people are going to eat out of and enjoy on a daily basis, something that feels good and fits into someone’s life, that is the counterbalance to my painting. The paintings hang on a wall and are effectively without purpose or interaction other than the viewer’s observations but pottery is more embedded in the reality of the owner of the objects. So, I make things that people can eat and drink out of to atone for my sins of being an easel painter!”

Check out more of Greg’s work here: @gregnelson101 and gregnelsonart.com