Catherine Cindrich   Contemporary Ceramics

“Clay is molded into a vessel, but the usefulness of the vessel depends on the space where nothing exists.”

Tao Te Ching: Chapter 11

I moved to North Carolina in 2010. The clay in the soil got my attention, and I was drawn into the rich history of ceramics in North Carolina. Soon I found Claymakers Arts Community and was immersed in the living tradition of ceramics and pottery. The work that I am making sometimes starts on the wheel and always involves some altering, or alternative processes afterwards. Surfaces bear the marks of the wheel, the patterns and textures impressed while the clay is still malleable, and the firing. Clay has its own schedule, greatly affected by environment, both working and firing.  Each stage of the process asks something different of me. As a potter I am creating a vessel on the wheel. The artist in me turns the vessel over, altering its meaning. The sculptor in me constructs details. Each series is an exploration of concepts and consequences. As I work through a series, making ceramic sculptures and functional fine art ceramics, I am always inspired by the knowledge that I can share the touch of the flame with you!

“We of the craft are all crazy, some are affected by gaiety, others by melancholy, but all are more or less touched.”

Lord Byron