Peter Karner

My work is made of stoneware or porcelain that is fired in a hard brick gas kin to 2300 degrees F in a reduction atmosphere. Each piece is created individually by throwing on the wheel, hand-building, or a combination of the two. I apply my decoration in multiple layers and employ methods such as wax-resist and brushwork to imbue my patterns with depth. The base glazes that I decorate on are designed to capture carbon from the atmosphere in the kiln. This carbontrap effect is random and can add tremendously to the overall energy of a piece. My mother is a quilter, and I find my attraction to geometric pattern stems from my childhood exposure to her work. African and Japanese textiles, Islamic iron work, modern architecture, and the natural world have also influenced both my forms and decoration. It is my intention to create modern, yet timeless, work that embodies the soulful expression of my love of flowers, food, and still-life.