| View Work | Artists | |
 Mark Rademacher |
Artist’s Statement and Process Description My work is fundamentally wheel-thrown and I work with both red and white low fire earthenware. On particular pieces, I will manipulate the form to accommodate the later addition of elements such as wood, copper wire, bone, and beads. |
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I work in a two-day cycle: the first day, I throw the pots (either 6
or 8 smaller pots or 3 large pots). The following day, I assemble
and decorate. The large pots are formed from two separately thrown
sections that are joined together when they are slightly wetter than
the "leather hard" stage. The decoration process begins when the forms are firm enough to resist deforming when I imbed leaves in the surface. This is the most creative and rewarding part of my work. I am continually intrigued by the simple act of rolling leaves into a damp clay surface in a never-ending variety of patterns and relationships. Very often, the form or shape of the pot will suggest a particular variety of leaf or leaf pattern. After another brief drying period, a copper oxide stain is brushed or sprayed over the decorated pots. Occasionally, instead of the copper oxide stain, I will brush on a contrasting clay slip (a thin mixture of clay and water). Before the stain or slip is completely dry, the leaves are carefully removed from the surface of the pots. When the pieces are bone dry, I kiln fire them in a gas-fired kiln to the maturing temperature of the clay body. After the kiln firing, the pieces are carefully packed into a converted stock watering tank (my "pit") with a variety of combustible materials, which may include straw, wood chips, sawdust, and shredded paper. A fire is started on top using household paper waste, wood scraps, and dead branches from the woods around my studio. After the fire has burned down to coals, the stock tank kiln is covered with a sheet of tin and allowed to smoke and smolder until all of the fuel is consumed. This usually takes from 24-36 hours. When the tin is cool to the touch, the cover is removed with great anticipation. The results are always interesting. The interactions between leaf shapes, patterns, and textures; the subtle color shifts produced by the copper glaze chemistry and the heat and smoke of the pit fire combine to create the defining features of my pottery. These integral processes are wedded to my classical vases and jars to produce one-of-a-kind pieces. |
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Little Rock, Arkansas 72201
501.324.ARTS (2787)
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