Cuneiform.....

Terracotta slab experiments

Detail of slab

Terracotta slab rolled into a cylinder

Historical reference of a Cuneiform slab

Historial reference of a cuneiform cylinder

I have been thinking about where my work is heading and about putting meaning into it. This has led me to realize that as beautiful as the Sevres work is it is just not the right path for me. I feel that those types of forms are too similar to the work I was doing before I started the AIB program. One of the main reasons I decided to pursue my MFA was to break free from that and explore ceramics and other media. For the last year I have steered clear of clay until this current semester.  In order to use what I have learned and bring my ideas to life in clay I need to change directions from the Sevres vessels.

 I have always been drawn to the ancient world especially cuneiform writing. Deborah Davidson my advisor from last semester had suggested I look at this more closely but at the time I was not ready, now I am (thanks Deborah for the advice!). Using historical references of cuneiform tablets and cylinders I will incorporate my own "writing" into the clay.  I have begun this by experimenting with terracotta slabs and cylinders made by rolling some of the slabs up around a support. Theses pieces are far from complete but I feel good about this work and its relevance to my ideas.