November 9, 2009
Shadow May, Chattanooga, Tennessee
Shadow May's square stacked jar, 15 in. (38 cm) in height, porcelain, fired to cone 6 in an electric kiln.
I chose to make this form because of its uniqueness first and, in a utilitarian sense, it gives the appearance of one piece while utilizing two containers. I really just love making containers that consolidate or stack in any form or medium. Making this piece let me contribute to the idea of consolidated containers. I want it to fit together, be useful for food or just appreciating. I want people to want to pick my pots up and use them.
If I make a piece for function, then it needs to work. Although, I think that if your main focus is function then a lot of times you leave little to no room for creativity, which is my first priority in making a piece.
Patience is my main challenge. These pieces are not your straight forward piece of pottery you can finish in half an hour or so. You really have to picture the finished piece and then work your way through it until it’s finished. Also, since I fire each section of each piece separately, the fitting back together is always a concern; otherwise the piece doesn’t work and I won’t like it enough for the public to see.
It is not really important to me that the user be aware of an intended function for this piece. I make the piece out of a sense of fun and creativity. Function falls about third down on my list, even though my pots are completely functional. I’m more interested in the artistic expression of a particular piece and the idea behind it. I imagine that, if this piece is used, whether putting your car keys in it after a long day or your coffee and sugar for the morning, it would be considered a piece that plays a small but very important role or ritual in your life.
Looking and appreciating are as important as function. Sometimes people need to just stop and look at something to make them feel better, take them back to a particular time in their lives—or just smile.
This article was excerpted from Contemporary Functional Pottery: A Discussion of Handmade Pottery by 11 Working Potters, which is free to Ceramic Arts Daily subscribers.
I do about 20-25 juried fine art shows a year and that has gotten my pots out there extremely fast. I do have a website, a Facebook fan page under Shadow Pottery, a Twitter account, and a Myspace page. I also have an Etsy and blog account, but rarely have a chance to get to them.
My pots are always changing. Doing a lot of shows lets my pots evolve quickly. From the beginning, I’ve tried to sell the idea that if you like my pots then you’ll trust that whatever I make you’ll like. I really don’t want to be making the same stuff day in and day out. My body of work will always look like I made it, but it will change in a matter of moments because I work so much in the clay and love stepping out and playing that risk. That’s how good pots are made!
www.shadowpottery.com
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Tags: Shadow May
Carol | November 11th, 2009 at 1:16 pm
Great to see someone I know from Tennessee in CM and also a great teacher. Good going!!
ruby | November 14th, 2009 at 2:20 am
I enjoyed reading your ideas on how and why you make a piece of pottery. I have been with clay for last 30 years and have worked under great masters like Daniel Rhodes. Thro the years i have debated on functional and non funtional work. Finally now i have arrived at a stage where I work to fullfill a need, a challenge within me and if the piece sells it is a great bonus. I have come to this feeling after many years of questioning, wanting and desiring recognition. Now I only need my own acceptance of myself and my work the rest simply follows
Shadow | November 24th, 2009 at 2:53 pm
Ruby- I really appreciate your comment! It hits pretty right on with where I’m at now in my clay carrer. To be loud with my next steps or to step softly? I mean if we didnt make pots or work in the clay than it would be something else. The need to have recognition falls deeper than the medium we work in. I really think that self acceptance is something that none of us have mastered and might never..so we create.
Olie | January 16th, 2010 at 8:18 am
I like your form in this article, for some creativity is just sitting at the wheel and throwing something, for others it is trying a new technique they have seen somewhere and then others it is that bowl of ideas that roll around in our heads that we can’t seem to stop. We work with a medium that has few boundaries and those are only limited by our imagination, “I can do that” Then our self reward is when we open the kiln and that piece catches our eye, I made that!!! and it is great when someone else likes it or another piece that didn’t impress you. Recognition is great,for me pottery is a passion not a occupation. What use is creativity if it is not useable, FunctionalArt?