Artist Statement

As a potter making functional work I am challenged by both aesthetic and ergonomic considerations. Functional pots should enhance rather than complicate our daily rituals; a robust pot that works well is more likely to be used on a regular basis rather than just sitting on the shelf.

Contemporary design objects and architecture inspire my work, along with historic pots that are grounded in utility and tradition. I want my pots to have volume, to allude to their ability to contain and nourish and to have gesture with out becoming too animated. I often work in small editions, allowing me to constantly refine designs and ideas, and it is often past ideas revisited that prove to be the most successful. I use many of my pots at home to see how they fit the hand and the lip. I want to make sure that each spout pours smoothly and lids fit well, important details that define good domestic design and make handmade pots a pleasure to use.

I enjoy the rhythm of studio time and get a great sense of satisfaction from the physical nature of the work. My best days in the studio are clean and quiet, with a slight sense of urgency that keeps me focused. The rhythm of making is repeated in the surface decoration of my work. Often subtle and nonrepresentational in nature, it focuses on the variation found in glaze thickness, emphasized by stamping, resists and edges.

Handmade objects connect us to the people that make them, and the craftsmanship is a reflection of the maker’s time and energy. In increasingly dense urban societies where technology can serve to alienate us, a virtual environment cannot replace a thoughtful handle. – Sean Kunz