jennoak@hotmail.com
Whether it is a vase that compliments flowers or pots that enrich food, my work is made to honor and celebrate the rhythms of home. My forms are fashioned with both the modesty reminiscent of British Medieval tankards and the grace indicative of Song Dynasty wares. Folds, seams, darts and pillowed knobs recall familiar comforts of home as they relate to my love of sewing. I treat the exterior surface in various ways (painted slip, pinched feet, carved lines and graphic embellishments) in order to achieve a repetitious interaction between form and surface.
My surfaces are separated into a graphic section and a glazed section. Inspiration for the graphic portion comes from a fondness of textiles. I glean from post WWII textiles, Arts and Crafts Era designs and Edo period kimono fabric as sources that historically honor and celebrate everyday life. In contrast, my glaze palette is based on natural phenomena. I link the chemistry of glazes to the serendipity of nature. I search for glazes that reflect light much like the way glacial crevasses radiate sunlight. Furthermore, I look for glazes that suggest a sense of physical atmosphere as a Mark Rothko painting might relate to a mid-winter alpenglow.
From the significance of home, the commemoration of daily life and the awe of nature, my fondest memories inform my creative process. In the end, I look to my pottery as individual utilitarian forms that mirror my perceptions of beauty, celebration, mystery and nourishment.