[2023] Petroglyph
Petroglyphs are an ancient form of rock art that involves removing part of a rock surface through incising, picking, carving, or abrading. The term “petroglyph” comes from the Greek words petra meaning “rock’’ and glyphein meaning to “carve”. These enigmatic carved images emerged all over the world during various time epochs, some dating as far back as 18,000 years.
My first attempt at engraving into leather hard clay is a meditative experience, especially when considering a friend’s quote, “we are crowned by our scars”. The wounds of our psyche help us build a deeper sense of our identity, resulting in an enigmatic essence that allows others to get an unspoken feeling for who we are. In this particular work, due to the dark manganese minerals present in the clay, the figures are barely noticeable from a distance but reveal themselves as one approaches. Unfortunately, this piece perished during a kiln malfunction... perhaps a double omen in the leadup to me getting mauled by a dog a few days after. Ceramics, being a challenging craft, is in and of iteself a character-building exercise.
My first attempt at engraving into leather hard clay is a meditative experience, especially when considering a friend’s quote, “we are crowned by our scars”. The wounds of our psyche help us build a deeper sense of our identity, resulting in an enigmatic essence that allows others to get an unspoken feeling for who we are. In this particular work, due to the dark manganese minerals present in the clay, the figures are barely noticeable from a distance but reveal themselves as one approaches. Unfortunately, this piece perished during a kiln malfunction... perhaps a double omen in the leadup to me getting mauled by a dog a few days after. Ceramics, being a challenging craft, is in and of iteself a character-building exercise.