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Joshua Primmer Sculptural and Functional Stoneware |
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Biography and Artist's Statement
Biography
In the past year Joshua has focused his efforts on creating a functional line of work. In particular, he has concentrated on drinking vessels and their accessories, and flower containers. In the recent past form took precedent over function, but now priority between the two has equalized. His process has shifted slightly from making forms evolve from one to another and forcing utility to the service of these resulting shapes, to something more interactive and organic. By using these forms from the past in his every day life, Joshua has consciously responded to this interaction. He has also noted the response of those who use his work in their lives. This has all added a new level to his creative process. Joshua is still collecting inspiration from the collision of industry and nature occurring around us, especially the fungi that have exploded in reaction to the abundance of rain this year. All of his forms still originate from the wheel though he has begun to explore porcelain in addition to stoneware. He still creates purely sculptural work in addition to his functional pieces. Joshua intends to explore the whole spectrum of utility beyond drinking vessels and flower vases using his newly revised creative process. Joshua lives in downtown Bennington with his wife Rebecca, their dog Louie, and their two cats Ooba and Rodney. He still supports his artistic habit with house painting and coffee roasting, but has been able to begin phasing out the house painting as his art takes over. Joshua received his BFA from Maine College of Art in 2001. His work can be seen in Burlington,VT at the Frog Hollow Gallery, in Williamstown, MA at Tunnel City Coffee Roasters, and on-line at www.joshuaprimmer.com.
Artist's Statement
evoke peace, monumentality, and beauty in the viewer and the user. These forms are
significantly impacted by function and process, which is strongly evident in each final design. Also apparent in my work are hints of my inspirational sources. The
mediums I work with are cone 10 stoneware and porcelain fired in a
reduction atmosphere. I fire in reduction to cone 10 because of the
depth and
richness of surface that can be achieved at higher oxygen starved
temperatures. High fire reduction also has a “weathering” effect
on the glazes
and clay body. The power of the flame can be felt in my finished work,
yet I still retain some control over the firing results. Before
firing, my process is wheel based. I begin with a concrete idea: a sketch
or series of sketches. I throw all the necessary elements on the
wheel and, when needed, pull handles and spouts. When all the pieces are
equally leather hard I cut and join them to create each composition.
When the form is completely and carefully dried I bisque fire my
work to cone 07 and then glaze the bisque ware using brushes,
pouring, and
dipping. The origins of my forms come directly from the wheel throwing process. I suspend the motion of the wheel, cut, and then collage together these forms in a manner that makes sense to me. From simple disk forms made by joining two bowls lip to lip, to more complicated pieces involving multiple disks and cylinders. I am constantly looking back to past works through fresh
eyes for new inspiration. Each pot is unique, but when viewed as a body of work, the relationships are clear. In creating art, my goal is to move the viewer and user of my work. I intend to evoke peace, monumentality, and beauty. I want my work to possess an
inspirational presence. I am attempting to mimic the emotions imbued
by my sources of inspiration. My muses reside in nature, old New England mills, and art and I immerse myself in each as much as possible. For me, nature represents an ideal: a beautiful tenuous ideal threatened by humanity. The juxtaposition of nature and time slowly inevitably weathering stark industrial constructs intensifies the vulnerability of my ideal through its strength. Despite mankind's irrepressible power, nature and time will be the end of us. Yet there is hope: If human kind learns to exist in harmony with nature time will smile on us both. My work hints at this. In a sense, it is a physical manifestation of the fantasy of harmony. The artists I am drawn to have harnessed the power of this conflict; Hans Coper, Lucy Rei, Louis Kahn, Mark Rothco, and Alberto Giacometti among others I have yet to discover. All of them create beauty and amplify its significance with elements of corrosion and decay. The mechanical aspect of my process is evident in my forms. Despite the relatively small scale of my work it possesses a monumentality usually restricted to large-scale work and architecture. These rigid machined shapes are enveloped by patinas of colors and textures found in nature, oxidized metal, and weathered stone; human industry in the embrace of nature.
-JOSHUA PRIMMER
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