TAYLOR BROWN
Each artist has their own uniqueness and individuality, of course, but with a similar ambition – to put their concepts and designs together to construct captivating ceramic objects. I am an avid hand builder, working mostly with slabs and coils to construct my pieces; I strongly desire the constant hands on labor and deep concentration. Since hand-building requires a stable yet easy-to-manipulate body, my clay of choice is a stoneware mixture consisting of Little Loafer’s Clay and 306 Brown Firing Clay.
As a ceramist, I am interested in both composing objects that gain meaning as they are given a purpose by the handler, and composing objects that may have an impact on the viewer and stimulate some sort of reaction. I greatly enjoy the challenge of recreating already made items, expanding on, or even simplifying, the object of inspiration. If I encounter something that is appealing and stimulating it is a natural instinct of mine to take that objects functions, forms, and designs and put my own hands to work constructing those variations. I am not concerned with the perfection of my pieces – if mistakes are made then I prefer to work with them because it is important that my craftsmanship is exhibited in my work. The process from start to the finish can be tremendously tedious, no matter the object being created, but I find it to be so soothing that it’s almost therapeutic.
My work exemplifies the boundless outcomes of clay and glazes – it takes the physical properties of another medium and imitates them. For example, each of my pieces are constructed using flat, thin slabs of clay, and they are specifically decorated with a metallic glaze to look as if they are made of metal. The configuration of the works along with the successful outcome of the glaze is meant to cause viewers to question the material used because the properties of the masks and tools significantly resemble that of metal work. Creating works that are supposed to come across as something other than they are can be a little challenging; however, I thrive on the idea of making these objects that are supposed to look, and physically be, durable and strong bodied out of a material that is completely opposite of that – fine and delicate.
Work
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