​NEW CLAY CONFERENCE​.

​ARTIST STATEMENT

 

There is something extremely engaging about immersing hands in clay and all its processes, its tactile nature, its rainy scent, its infinite possibilities.

I enjoy pottery that conveys personality, a slight air of attitude, that first step off the path.  In that vein, my pots are never entirely symmetrical, as though they are leaning towards animation. One teapot leans into its ultimate pour, a cream jug leans back in a state of resistance, a mug sways off kilter like a half bottle of wine in the system. I like this static sense of energy in pottery. It evokes the plastic nature of clay in its raw form but also the movement associated with the finished pot’s intended use. It reflects our beauty and  awkward imperfections; imperfections that celebrate the handmade object over mass-produced, industrial ware.

My pottery is inspired by many things, including the landscape around my home, the rich history of pottery, but also by antique tinware, textured metal, and the old things you might find in barns.

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BIO

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Sarah Pike is a full-time potter, living and making functional slab-built wares in Fernie, BC, Canada. She studied ceramics at Alberta College of Art and Design, University of Colorado, and the University of Minnesota. Sarah is a proud member of the Canadian ceramic collective, Make & Do.

Sarah is very interested in making stamps and texture tools and pressing them into soft clay. Lately, she is obsessing over the ogee curve and how it tessellates across a form. Her natural habitat is her studio, but if she isn’t making pots, she is probably out exploring the mountains around her home by ski or bike. She is generally thinking about snacks.

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