Statement

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We respond and interact very differently with objects which are our own size or larger.  Rather than being something we can hold in our hands and dominate, we must walk around them and experience the pieces as equals.  Tactile interaction with clay objects is as important as visual observation.  The textures and surfaces can tell as much of a story as what you can see. 

My work celebrates the dynamic visual strength, sensuality, and power of clay as a material.  Clay is a natural record-keeper and has a different textural feel and appearance depending on how much or how little it is manipulated.  In many pieces I work with the way clay rips and tears, how it behaves by itself, making pieces look as if they grew from where they stand.  In others I enjoy exaggerating the spiral that is evident in some hand-thrown pottery, or how each physical impression becomes permanent.  Clay's presence, tactile nature, and natural energy are ideal qualities for large-scale pieces.

My pieces are all large, 4 to 12 feet tall, and range from clay vessels, both thrown on the potter's wheel and hand-built, to figurative work and hand-pounded tile murals.  Working in a number of different modes  keeps the work interesting for me and allows me to follow each idea in a number of different directions.  Each of these aspects of my work is important to me and feeds a different part of my personality.  The thrown vessels are often most restful for me since they come from more traditional forms and ideas.  The hand-built vessels are more difficult, taking a vessel form but allowing the clay to speak more fully.  The figures are the most difficult and emotionally draining.  They are often the most personal pieces for me, and the hardest to let go.  The tile murals have become glaze and texture paintings for me, and also transcend the size restrictions of the kilns, allowing the natural grid pattern to unify increasingly large areas and become more architectural as they grow.

The process from wet clay to a finished piece takes 6 months to a year, ending with the final glaze firing in a gas reduction kiln to 2300 degrees Fahrenheit.  Larger pieces can spend up to 12 weeks in the kiln.  Slow drying and firing are essential to help ensure the pieces' survival; any number of small mistakes could be fatal to the end result.  I use a number of different glazes and techniques to create a range of surfaces and textures.  Some pieces are fired multiple times to bring out the best in the glazes and the clay surface.  Because high fired clay is impervious to weather and will be around long after I am not, it is important to me that each piece be worthy of its permanence. 

  Conrad Snider