Ashley Hare
The ceramics I create are carefully formed on the pottery wheel using stoneware.
The forms vary from serving dishes and dinnerware to jars and flower vases.
Most of my pottery is symmetrical while others twist and turn becoming
an organic
vessel. A good deal of emphasis is placed on the foot of the piece giving
close attention to unique design.
My work is focused around the idea that all of creation performs a specific
function. This idea stems from my beliefs of humans having been created by
God for a specific
purpose in this world. The fact that my pottery is functional communicates
these beliefs in a subtle yet identifiable way. While my vessels are functional
they
also convey a sense of nature with a rugged appearance. Rocks, tree bark,
leaves and other organic materials along with an assortment of tools create
sundry
textures which give rise to a weathered body. Neutral and cool colored glazes
ranging
in color from the turquoise of the Caribbean to the deepest browns of mahogany
bring a natural air to my artwork. Oxides enliven the crevices in the texture
of my pottery to create an organic, weathered appearance. This weathered
appearance of my vessels is based upon my view of the beauty of nature which
so often
goes unnoticed in today’s idealistic society.
Not only do my ideas come from my love of nature and my Christian beliefs,
but they are also influenced by various artists. Janet Mansfield, for example,
creates
remarkable texture from graphite-sand as well as showing the marks of her tools.
The work of Stephen Grimmer fascinates me because of his use of neutral colored
glazes. The variety of browns he uses creates the rough look which is very
appealing to me. These artists have a wide range of resources such as wood
firing, different
clay bodies and an assortment of glazes which I would be interested in experimenting
with in the future. While many people influence my work my central inspiration
comes from nature.