In this workshop, ceramicist Jane Sawyer will demonstrate some of the techniques she uses in her practice including her unique, free-style wheel throwing as well as her signature altering, manipulating, and slip-coating processes. The demonstrations will be punctuated by visual presentations looking at the threads of her style and practice. At the end of the session, Jane will invite a lively exchange on making ceramics and living a life around clay and pots.
Jane’s work is based on the premise that the maker, the material, and the method dwell within an equal and symbiotic dynamic relationship. She draws on a blend of contemporary design, craft practice, and conceptual curiosity. Her versatile ceramic objects sit somewhere between sculpture and function, engaging both the tactile and the visual senses, breaking down the distinctions between art, craft, and design.
"Fluid, gestural and tactile, my ceramic art reflects an interest in, or perhaps an obsession with materiality, movement, and engagement through the sense of touch. The physicality of the relationship between clay and our bodies interests me. Clay, like flesh, responds to and reflects touch. Using very soft clay and wet slip (a creamy clay coating) the fluidity of the material encourages movements to be simplified, refined, and “choreographed” – an essence of the expression of gesture. Through this language of touch, I seek to provoke intimacy and connection, from the wet clay to the “fired-frozen” object and its life beyond my studio. Objects that will inhabit other environments whether domestic, gallery or landscape, can provide multiple dimensions for reading and provoke unique responses." - Jane Sawyer
This workshop will run via Zoom and will include a demonstration, a visual presentation, and a Q&A. All welcome, including non-ceramists and complete beginners, for this inspiring demonstration workshop!