Artist's Statement

Clay, functional objects and all the possibilities therein have always fascinated me. I love forming a piece of clay on the wheel while it is in a fluid state and I am compelled to create forms which retain this fluidity and gesture. I am curious about how far I can push the clay. I test these limits by cutting and recombining thrown forms. This begins a dialogue with the clay that spurs more questions and responses to the developing form. (The result being an object that has connections to the tradition of the wheel while pushing us to question functional objects as sculptural form) I choose to work with traditionally functional objects because it introduces the possibility of creating sculptural forms that relate to people on a personal level through their ability to function. 

Monica Rudquist