Christa Assad

Artist Statement   |   Show Record & Vitae

	Tower Teapot 9” x 8¼” x 6¼”				Whiskey Sipper Set Bottle 7” x 5”, Cups 3½” x 2¼”, Tray 1¼” x 11”

My work is primarily in clay, though anything involving designing, engineering, and constructing holds my interest. Now I'm much more interested in the hands-on. Making utilitarian objects appeals to my practical side, yet the romance of being a potter seduces my dreamier side. Ultimately I think it is a lifestyle choice that brought me to this place in my career. The potter is an unusual figure in today's social order - a maverick and inventor functioning slightly on the fringe of society.

Design is the key element that guides my thinking and making. First, I want the piece to be visually captivating - to lure the viewer in - and second, I want it to function effortlessly and in a way that serves to enhance the daily experience. Possibly, the work can even awaken the viewer/user to emotions and memories that add extra layers of meaning.

This is how pottery is unique: it operates both at a distance, striking a bold profile or emitting a lustrous glow of color, and intimately, right up against the lips. It's a privilege to gain this kind of access to others' private space - the domestic, personal landscape. Here, rituals of use develop, arrangements of objects move and change - and in this way the life and place of a pot becomes a collaborative artwork.

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