Ribbed Flower Vase
The Eternal Mind as Artifact and Remnant
This collection of ceramic objects and prints is a part of my continuous exploration of how humanity seeks to preserve the mind after the expiration of the ephemeral body. Every aspect of knowledge has been inherited. Artifacts such as pottery or manuscripts serve as examples of knowledge that has been preserved for future generation to access knowledge about their anthropological roots after predecessors have passed away.
I am drawn to the idea of the mind as an infinite entity existing in the objects an individual leaves behind. After looking at Aboriginal Art and Symbolist writers of the 20th Century, I discovered that the connection between the primitive crafts and avant garde writings was the use of symbolism reflecting their awareness of the human relationship to the natural world. In this series, remnants take the forms of functional craft, written document, or fossil. I approach the individual object as a segmented organism that reflects a physical antiquity but also signifies the permanent ideas of the owner; the object's purpose is redefined as a personified storyteller as it interacts with the audience.
Textural objects and paper narratives symbolize the deposit of antiquated ideas. I use contrasting colors and inscribed writings to communicate the separation of the mind and the body. As history was traditionally passed on through word of mouth, the words on the ceramic objects and prints, once read, are available to exist with the viewer beyond the existence of the artwork.