“Ashes/ Mirror”, 2024, Pit Fired Wild Georgia Clay, Mirror, Steel, 24” x 36” x 36”

This work is an exploration of a historic firing technique and its relevance in a contemporary sense. While almost extinct, pit firing wild clay is the oldest form of transforming earth into ceramics. Despite my usual use of modern kilns, I still find beauty in the irregularities, imperfections, and unpredictable nature of this firing technique. I sourced this wild clay from a riverside and pit fired it, leaving an uneven carbon covered surface. The mirror underneath the piece reflects its underside and emphasizes where the flames licked around its surface and left their marks. The steel structure underneath both supports the piece and leaves a space reminiscent of the fireplace structure where it received its surface design. It is a testament to human ingenuity that our ancestors discovered how to transform elements of nature into something entirely new. It is an indication of the beauty of these elements that they are still used to make art today.