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My work juxtaposes the modern culture of Hip Hop with the history of the Victorian period. Like many of the historical ceramics and pottery I reference, I pull elements from Hip Hop just as they pulled and borrowed from other cultures. I work primarily in clay although I am influenced by other historic sources. These sources include the Victorian language of flowers, Hip Hop culture and wall paper patterns. I use each subject in contribution to the juxtaposition of the themes on my pottery.
I enjoy the process of working with clay and underglazes to create depth within imagery on the surface of platters. Through my surface design I explore a multitude of techniques from incising to drawing on the surface to slip trailing and underglaze transferring. My process becomes important to how the imagery on my work is perceived. The use of vibrant colors in patterned shapes and floral imagery pulls the user in. People are often attracted to my bright pallet and delicate imagery. However, many are surprised when they see the context of popular icons from Hip Hop culture.
These processes are important as I draw from my historic sources and my modern sources to create a collage of images on the surface of my pots. My current body of work deals with the themes of Hip Hop culture to express its radical changes. I’m working with its origins and how its culture has evolved since the 1970s. My goal in this body of work is to put the culture into a context which will help people to understand how its goal was to build community, not violence and materialism.
