Art connects me to the world in its simplicity and complexity. For example, a blade of grass is simple upon first observation: green, symmetrical, straight. However, this same blade of grass is complex: converting sunlight into energy, carrying sustenance to the leaves through its veins, bending in the wind by the unnoticed laws of physics. Likewise, a ceramic vessel may be considered simple: created, used, and perhaps broken. However, there is a complex story behind its formation and life. There is a story behind our formation as well. Our lives are simple: birth, life, death. At the same time, they hold infinite complexities: relationships, religions, stories.
Pinching, pressing, and forming are a journey for me as I create hand built forms of ceramics, sealing cracks and smoothing surfaces. On the wheel, centering is a process requiring one to feel the way the clay moves, and forming one’s hand accordingly. Whether thrown or hand built, burnishing usually takes place, taking every curve in check. I draw inspiration from nature, as well as things that are incomplete. The color of raw clay reminds me of the timeless earth beneath our feet, while the glazes remind me of other shades and hues in the natural world.
Concepts of process and journey drive my work, which often takes an interest in the broken and unfinished. I want to be part of a greater context which unifies and connects the story of my life with the stories of others. Working with many mediums enables me to capture these stories connecting experiences and art. The medium is not the most important part, as every medium has the potential to capture a memory from the past, glimpse a present moment in time, or interpret a growing idea. In communicating the paradoxical existence of simplicity and complexity through art, I value collaboration and teamwork. I enjoy assisting viewers in their journey to participation. Searching out the path of connectedness, my hope is that viewers join alongside each other and alongside me as an artist, to experience the wonder of travel, gradual change, and meaning beyond the tangible.
-Elizabeth Brouwer, 2014
Artist Statement
