The medium of clay intrigues me because it has a memory, both cultural and physical. The long, historical evolution of clay traditions across cultures worldwide lends the contemporary artist a groundswell of collective memory and resonance from which to draw inspiration. Physically, clay in it's wet state, records with wonderful clarity ("remembers", if you will) the most subtle touch. The firing process finalizes this record of movements, and the final result becomes extraordinarily permanent. At the same time, ceramic materials often seem to have a will of their own due to the complex interaction of variables in process and materials. I learn from embracing and adapting to unexpected results, and am often humbled by the beauty of the unintended. This approach has led my work in directions I could neither have anticipated nor forced, and promises a future fresh with discovery. The ominous longevity of fired clay compels me to strive towards creating work that can both stand alongside the great ceramic traditions of the past and continue to be relevant for generations to come.

The inspiration for my early work grew plainly and unabashedly from the fertile soil of Korean and Japanese folk traditions via my Mingei-sota mentors (Warren Mackenzie, et al.). I was attracted to the direct approach to process, the emphasis on utility and everyday ritual, and that elusive pursuit of a spirit of "casual austerity"—all values that help define the Mingei movement. While these core values continue to be a part of my approach to clay, the pursuit of my own voice has become increasingly important over the years. I believe that only by continually pushing towards new and sometimes uncomfortable territory will I move closer to creating work that honestly resonates with both me and the society where the work will inevitably reside.

My current creative inquiry draws from a formal vocabulary referencing both architectural and organic sources. Some influences include shapes relating to boat and bridge architecture, the movement and stillness of birds in flight and at rest, and the contours and volumes of rock and cave formations. I seek to inflate form and animate surface by directing opposing forces into a coherent network of edges. I employ an architectural approach in negotiating the formal relationships between inside and outside, solid and void, planar and linear. The edges that articulate the shapes of my pieces, however, have an organic undulation, not unlike that of rocks or the human body. Most of my work is constructed by cutting apart thrown shapes and reassembling them. I enjoy combining the energy and symmetry of the throwing process with the sculptural versatility and slower pace of handbuilding.

My recent work both challenges and embraces notions of utility. While my vases and boat forms can stand alone as sculptural statements, they also invite the viewer to imagine and implement their utilitarian possibilities and thus become an active participant in the creative process. In a society where fractured streams of information seem to increasingly crowd out meaningful structures of ritual and ceremony, I believe in the power of art to refocus our attention on what is truly important. I want my work to become a locus for people to reclaim and redefine the meaning of everyday rituals in their lives. I hope that by making functional forms that rupture the margins of the familiar that my pieces will inspire people to think about function in new ways and help bring fresh creative vigor to familiar activities.

David T. Olson

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