Sculptures and Vessels: Why I make both.

Many artists will create work that is either functional or sculptural. It allows for full focus on the principles or concepts to be explored, and the studio can be set up for maximum efficiency of the processes involved.

I get it, I do. However this approach has never really been a natural way for me to work. I enjoy making both functional and sculptural work and find that one informs the other quite nicely. Ideas develop naturally in a kind of fluid synergy that would feel odd or reductive to deny.

When making a mug, for example, the maker must consider it’s size- how much tea will it hold?, It’s weight, Is the handle the right size & comfortable? Does the cup feel balanced in the hand? How thin is the rim? Too thin & it may chip easily, too thick & it will feel awkward or heavy on the lips. Then there’s the glazing - it has to be water tight to hold the tea, as well as food safe and durable. Now, I don’t make mugs any more but I do enjoy the challenges of creating something unique to be used which involves many of the same considerations and design principles.

This is my current favourite mug which was made by German potter Susanne Lukacs-Ringel. To me it hits all the buttons, how much it holds, how my hand fits it’s handle, the weight, the rim - all perfection accentuated by a simple linear design that echoes the rounded form and beautiful glaze variation capturing the alchemy of it’s time in the wood fired kiln.

In contrast to the ‘needs’ of a functional piece, making sculpture feels a lot more free, creatively speaking. Of course it must be weather-proof if it is to sit outdoors but aside from that & not injuring anyone, really anything goes. For me, creating sculpture allows greater exploration into my concepts via form and materials without the parameters of function to curtail my ideas.

I tend to work in blocks of time to allow full focus on either my vases or sculptures. This is where I start to compare myself to other artists. I see them stick to creating one type of thing and going all in on that, but I know that this does not work for me, I’ve tried it before. What happens is, I kind of reach a dead end in terms of energy for doing the same thing on repeat and in terms of ideas & where to go next. I begin to feel stagnant. I like variation in my creative endeavours and in the processes & techniques I use. It helps keep me exploring and developing as an artist and maker. To me, the lines between functional and non-functional and Art and Craft are pretty blurry anyway, but that’s another whole blog.

‘Unburdened’ Sculpture allows me to explore more deeply into my concepts with only my skills and ideas as limitations. Click the image to find out more about this piece.

My Oval Pod Vase- designed to hold water and support individual stems while also being visually strong enough to be a centre-piece without flowers.