Potter Mark SymbolismThe Artist: Nancy Lewis
As a studio potter my style of work in some ways harkens back to the time of the Arts and Crafts movement at the turn of the century. Like the women who worked for the Rookwood and Newcomb Potteries, I decorate one vessel at at time. In those days there was a clear division of labor: "it was assumed that a professional male potter would be needed to work the clay, throw the pots, fire the kiln and handle the glazing." Each woman sat at at small desk in a beautiful room with huge palladium windows decorating one piece of pottery at a time. They worked in long full skirts and blouses with high starched collars under immaculate studio conditions. I enjoy working in jeans and T-shirts in my small, sunny studio and do all of the jobs needed to produce my large hand built vessels myself.
"The decorative glazing process is painterly or flatly glazed by hand. It is delicate, detailed and time consuming. Different types of glazes, including under glazes, overglazes and metallic lusters are used, each requiring a separate firing. The vases are water tight and can hold enormous floral arrangements (being purposely weighted on the bottom to remain stable) or easily wired for wonderful lamps. Set atop fireplace mantels, pianos, dining room tables, bookshelves, or alone on a pedestal, they make a grand statement in any room."
These one-of-a-kind large decorative vessels, usually 20-30" high, take several days to construct, and once they are wrapped in swaddling, up to a month to dry before a bisque fire. I like the architectural nature of building these pieces and altering their individual components which results in a variety of sizes and shapes. It is easy to see how this kind of work emphasizes scale and texture.
A great example of the nature I utilzie is the Gingko. In the fall the Gingko leaves turns a bright yellow before dropping to the ground. Many people asked themselves, "What is this wonder tree that stood alone among all others, even after the horrific blast in Hiroshima during World War II?" The tree is also know as the "living fossil." Like Donald Sultan's mixed media paintings, I also like to reconstruct the environment around me.