John Dennison

To my mind no one has better captured the artist’s experience, as well as his reward, than the 19th century writer, designer, and socialist, William Morris: “Truth is making by hand, and making by hand is joy.” No modern or postmodern rhetoric. Simple making, simple joy, simple truth. Couple this simplicity with a good deal of curiosity, and my motivations become obvious.

Much of my current work has evolved into a series entitled “Bowls Beyond Function.” These bowls serve as a canvas – a surface on which to explore color, texture, theme, and mood. Each one is unique, distinguished by a dry, mottled, craggy surface, the result of several applications and multiple firings of glazes, under-glazes, oxides, and wax resist. I run a one-man studio, designing, throwing, glazing, firing, and finishing each piece. Even though I rely on a functional shape, these bowls are, for all intents and purposes, sculptural in nature.

Working with clay provides me the opportunity to explore my loves. Whether it is making bowls, teapots, or masks, each brings new opportunities to find truth in “making by hand.”