Scorched Earth
2017
Wheel-thrown, raku-fired clay
3 cups, each 5-5.5" h. and 3-3.25" dia.
These ceramic cups, literally made of scorched earth, are decorated with simple geometric shapes and a texture reminiscent of dry, cracked earth. In the context of this texture, a black circle suggests a deep hole or crater; a large yellow-orange circle conveys the sun's scorching heat; and a grid of thin black lines is reminiscent of a cage or fence. Together, the cups evoke images of treacherous terrain, extreme weather, and restricted movement.
This dark imagery is contradicted by the cups' function as drinking vessels. Cups are used to contain and consume beverages, of which water is usually the primary ingredient. Although the cups conjure an arid, hostile planet, there is an element of hope in that they can still contain this free-flowing, universally-nourishing substance required for sustaining life.