Michael Imes

Artist Statement, Fall 2018: 

Human beings have made and used vessels for thousands of years, for so long that they’ve taken on symbolic, archetypal meaning.  My stoneware forms are explorations of these archetypes.  As such they speak of growth and expansion, the capacities of holding and gestation, and the functions of gathering and offering.

The pinch and coil method of construction allows me to interact with the clay and to respond creatively in a process of discovery, facilitating the discovery of new vessel expressions.

Finished pieces are fired in high-fire reduction, wood, or soda kilns using stains, washes, and ash glazes to accentuate textures that often give evidence of the forming process and accentuate rather than decorate the forms.