Medieval Inspired

Pichet glaçuré anthropomorphe, Angleterre, v. 1300. Londres, The Trustees of the British Museum, inv. MLA 55, 10-29.11

There is something about the weirdness, and richness of Medieval Art that has been an inspiration to me ever since I can remember. But just in this past year, I came across a Medieval wine pitcher (see photo above) that pitched me into a new series of work in ceramics.

I love that this guy’s hands are circles with lines through them, and his arms a simple single string of clay. I love that we still see them as hands and arms; I could give many more examples on this and other pieces but the point is, it’s this leap of imagination that intrigues me. Bestiaries are another related concept in medieval art that inspires me, how species could be mixed and matched, and become a new creature such as a griffin. And finally, I have always loved the flat out decoration of Medieval and Gothic things, from buildings to furniture to textiles etc. What fascinates me about the Medieval decoration is how a very few simple geometic forms can become incredibly rich and varied with repetition. These three medieval inspirations-weird abstraction, mixing of species and repetitive ornament-became the basis for a whole series of work in ceramics. ​

Owl guy-2024, white stoneware with white salt glaze, woodfired, approx 7.5" tall

side/back view of Owl guy-2024, white stoneware with white salt glaze, woodfired, approx 7.5" tall

Eagle Guy-2024, white stoneware with white salt glaze, woodfired, approx 7" tall

Eagle Guy-2024, white stoneware with white salt glaze, woodfired, approx 7" tall

Eagle Guy-2024, white stoneware with white salt glaze, woodfired, approx 7" tall