Ginny Waters
52 Frontier Rd
Cos Cob, Ct 06807
203-485-0091
bgwaters@optonline.net
Originally I came to clay art because I wanted to sculpt,
but fell in love with the potter’s wheel instead. Having
thrown a pumpkin-like closed form one day, I found myself
molding it into one of the kabuki faces I used to carve on
pumpkins…. and thus an obsession was born. Each
porcelain piece is thrown on the wheel, then carved and
molded individually. Balance and feel are as important
considerations in order that the piece work with both the
user and the intended use.
but fell in love with the potter’s wheel instead. Having
thrown a pumpkin-like closed form one day, I found myself
molding it into one of the kabuki faces I used to carve on
pumpkins…. and thus an obsession was born. Each
porcelain piece is thrown on the wheel, then carved and
molded individually. Balance and feel are as important
considerations in order that the piece work with both the
user and the intended use.
Pots are nothing more or less than vessels meant to hold
substance. However beautifully formed or decorated, if a pot
does not fill its intended pragmatic function, it may be art, but it
isn’t a pot. My pots are meant to be used – as mug, bowl or,
most frequently, lantern. But as the mug is fulfilling its function, I
like to think that each expresses a spirit as well – an emotion, an
attitude, or a soul, perhaps. Many of my images are derived from
the world of spirits, particularly those of the Japanese nô, kabuki,
and folkloric traditions: monsters and demons; suffering warriors
and jealous women; possessed poets and heavenly maidens. As
their lanterns flicker and burn, I am reminded of the flame of the
Buddhist “soul:” constantly changing while remaining ever the
same.
substance. However beautifully formed or decorated, if a pot
does not fill its intended pragmatic function, it may be art, but it
isn’t a pot. My pots are meant to be used – as mug, bowl or,
most frequently, lantern. But as the mug is fulfilling its function, I
like to think that each expresses a spirit as well – an emotion, an
attitude, or a soul, perhaps. Many of my images are derived from
the world of spirits, particularly those of the Japanese nô, kabuki,
and folkloric traditions: monsters and demons; suffering warriors
and jealous women; possessed poets and heavenly maidens. As
their lanterns flicker and burn, I am reminded of the flame of the
Buddhist “soul:” constantly changing while remaining ever the
same.