Michael Imes

Artist Statement

Human beings have used vessels for thousands of years, for so long that they have taken on symbolic/archetypal meaning.  My stoneware vessels are explorations of these archetypes.  As such, they speak of growth and expansion, the capacities of holding and of gestation, and the functions of gathering and offering.  The pinch and coil method of construction allows me to interact with the clay, to respond creatively, in a process of exploration facilitating the discovery of new vessel expressions.  I choose to work in stoneware because I like the idea that it gives my pieces more of a geological lifespan; they become (through the making and firing) a different, more permanent thing with a new place in time.  They have the possibility of a life that will extend far into the future.