Joy's Artist Statement, Earth and Fire

JOY KRAUTHAMMER

ARTIST’S STATEMENT

Earth and Fire

Sources of recent inspiration come from earth–ground swells and crevices, rocks, mountains and canyons –vistas of my own San Fernando Valley environment.

I express in clay my fondness for earth’s natural creations. I respond to the clay. The clay is responsive to me. I move and work from within the pot to help give the clay a life. To liberate the material.

My pots are organic and intense statements expressing the fullness and vitality of life. They are structurally controlled, true to the center of the wheel, yet freely altered in exploration. They burst forth with energy, form, texture, color, and pattern, integrating to wholeness. They are round, full, rough and sensual pots. They are raw and oozing. They are made from impressions of stones, dried cactus, bark, acorn, pine needles, pine cones, rice hulls, sea shells and my fingers pushing out the clay, giving it freedom.

Stoking wood, feeding fuel to the kiln, my pots receive marks from the flash of flames, ash and the wind.

I love digging my own pit with friends by the beach and rived bed and filling the pit with different fuels: gathered wood, cow chips, straw, pine needles, saw dust and sea weed, all adding an air of spontaneity and mystery to the firings.

I love the force of throwing salt into the kiln; the sodium reacting with silicate upon the surface of the clay body.

I love Raku. I love the surprise, the crackles, the black, the red copper, the iridescence, the abalone, the transformation and magic; my personal involvement with the fire, smoke, weed and water. The unknown.

My original fascination with the clay came from watching the flowing creation of a vessel through the loving hands of James Crumrine, my Queens College instructor in the Fall of 1968. My soul's passion continued happily to the touch in my own hands, while also being exciting to my eyes.

Clay, this common earth substance reaches back and connects to the timeless quality of ancient vessels. My clay is a direct link of the contemporary cultural time with our history. My vessels reflect the religious traditions of my family, and are used in ritual ceremony.

I have created images to reflect my emotions, values, and attitudes; a personal connection with the past and the present -- the way I experience and communicate with life in joy.


PS
Grateful to have received a full year's Max Beckmann scholarship for graduate work at the Brooklyn Museum School of Art.
Taught adults at Cooper Square Art School, Manhattan, New York.
Opened Art School for City of Los Angeles, 1987.
Taught ceramics to children during all 1980's.
Member of American Ceramics Society, So. California Design Division. ACSDC

Joy's ARTs story
http://www.joys-art.blogspot.com/
http://joys-art.blogspot.com/2009/12/joys-artist-statement-earth-and-fire.html
http://joys-poems.blogspot.com/2010/04/blog-post.html
http://joys-art.blogspot.com/2009/12/joys-artist-statement.html

~ ~ ~

1985

May you be blessed to discover in joy, your passion, and share it.
 - Joy Krauthammer

Ivdu Et HaShem B'Simcha

Joy Krauthammer ©