layperson and art, and the role of functionality.

i have been strongly shaped by both my college art background, and then by my time spent as a buyer at the folk art gallery.

in college, i was encouraged to reach out and create things that were beyond ordinary, beyond "sofa art," or art that simply matched your furniture and took up space. to leave all "decoration" aspirations behind, and follow the form, the abstract concept, the color, the feel of the piece, with no intention whatsoever that the piece of art had to be "useful."

at the shop, i had somewhat of an opposite role: to select functional art, which many call "folk art," that was hand-made, unique, but also appealed to the every day shopper. not necessarily the costco walmart shopper, but at least a shopper without a degree in art. mostly all of our items were meant to be used in the home, or used as decorations or accents in a room.

and now, i have joined a pottery studio.... where many are making sculptural, non-functional, non-decorative art, and others are making functional... and a few are attempting to combine the two.

i too, shall seek to combine the visionary work with the functional, and embrace that which can be of use in the home, bringing ceramics close to our every day lives. but somehow try to avoid the cliche, the cheesy...

it shall be a thrilling challenge.