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Artist Statement: Small Favors Connie Roldan To create in miniature is to make an intimate pact with the viewer. When an artwork can be held in the palm of a hand, the relationship between the object and the observer changes fundamentally. It ceases to be something merely looked at; instead, it becomes a secret shared. For the Small Favors exhibition at The Clay Studio, I have returned to the literal and spiritual birthplace of my ceramic practice to present three small-scale sculptures: a winged pig, a cat with a mouse resting peacefully in its lap, and an owl deeply absorbed in a book. While these figures are modest in physical dimension, they carry the weight of a vast personal lineage, deeply rooted in the storytelling traditions of classical mythology, the exploration of pure emotion through the animal form, and a profound gratitude for the institution that first gave my creative voice a shape. My journey with clay began within the very walls of The Clay Studio in Philadelphia. It was there, amidst the dust, the clay scraps, and the shared energy of a vibrant creative community, that my hands first learned to converse with this ancient medium. More than just a facility, it was a sanctuary of discovery. It was during these formative years that I encountered a concept that would permanently alter the trajectory of my practice: the memory of clay. I still vividly recall hearing the voice of the late Raymond Rorke speaking on this phenomenon. He spoke of how clay is an archive of touch—how every squeeze, push, and indentation is recorded within the molecular structure of the material, waiting to be finalized by the fire of the kiln. This philosophy resonated with my background in archaeology and ancient history. Clay is not a passive canvas; it is a living witness. The realization that clay remembers every movement of the artist’s fingers struck a deep chord within me. It meant that sculpture was not just about imposing a form onto an object, but about engaging in a reciprocal dialogue. My early years at The Clay Studio were defined by this dialogue, learning to respect the material's history while infusing it with my own. It was within this supportive ecosystem that I received my very first ceramic exhibition. That initial opportunity was a watershed moment. It provided me with the validation and, more importantly, the profound courage required to carry my practice forward across the country to Los Angeles. The Clay Studio gave me my beginning, and it remains an anchor for my soul, no matter how far I travel. Now living and working in California, my practice remains steadfastly anchored in the realms of mythology, fable, and classical narrative. I have always been fascinated by how ancient allegories continue to ripple through the contemporary human experience. Mythologies survive because they house universal truths about human emotion—our fears, our triumphs, our vulnerabilities, and our capacity for love. However, my current work seeks to recontextualize these grand, often epic narratives into quiet, accessible moments. I view animals as the perfect vessels for this exploration. Stripped of the complex social armor and pretenses of human figures, animal subjects possess an inherent emotional purity and loyalty. They allow us to look directly at complex feelings without distortion. In the three pieces created specifically for Small Favors, I invite the viewer to lean in close and examine these mythological and emotional archetypes encapsulated in miniature form. The first piece, a small winged pig titled Pigassus, plays with the timeless adage of impossibility. In classical lore and modern idiom alike, the phrase "when pigs fly" denotes the unattainable. Yet, in sculpting this creature, I chose to capture the exact moment the impossible becomes real. The pig does not wear its wings as a bizarre anomaly, but with a sense of innate grace and quiet dignity. By rendering this figure on a micro-scale, the grand concept of defying gravity becomes a tender, localized miracle. It is a nod to the courage it takes to dream beyond our perceived limitations—a feeling I know intimately from my own artistic migration. The second sculpture, titled Les Mignons, depicts a cat with a mouse resting securely in its lap. In the natural world, and throughout centuries of folklore, these two entities are locked in an eternal, adversarial dance of predator and prey. Here, that historical tension is entirely dissolved. They sit together in a posture of radical peace and absolute trust. This piece speaks to the mythological concept of the Golden Age—a utopian state of universal harmony where conflict ceases to exist. By placing the mouse in the lap of the cat, I am exploring the profound vulnerability of trust and the capacity for unexpected companionship. It serves as a gentle reminder for the modern viewer that even the deepest, most systemic divisions can find resolution through presence and mutual vulnerability. The final piece is Glaux, an owl, universally recognized as the ancient companion of Athena and the symbol of wisdom, quietly reading a book. In classical antiquity, wisdom was often depicted as an imposing, distant virtue. By transforming the owl into an introspective reader, I wanted to democratize that wisdom, turning it into an act of quiet, personal devotion. The owl is not dispensing judgment from a high perch; it is actively engaged in the lifelong pursuit of learning, curiosity, and reflection. The book itself becomes a symbol within a symbol—an artifact of human communication held by a creature of nature. Technically, these pieces are informed by the very lessons of material memory I learned in Philadelphia. Working on a small scale as a handbuilder requires an intense economy of motion. Without the symmetry of the wheel, every mark of the tool, every subtle pinch, and every shift in the clay’s surface is magnified. To evoke a sense of timelessness, I utilize oxide washes to give the finished surfaces a weathered, archaeological aesthetic. I want these contemporary sculptures to look as though they were just unearthed from an ancient stratum, carrying the literal dust of history into the present day. The raw, earthy textures contrast beautifully with the delicate, whimsical nature of the subjects, bridging the gap between the monumental past and the intimate present. Returning to The Clay Studio through Small Favors is, for me, a closing of a circle. It is a way to honor the space where my hands first learned to listen to the clay, and where Raymond Rorke’s words first taught me to respect its memory. These three small pieces are filled with the immense gratitude I hold for my beginnings. They are small favors indeed—compact offerings of myth, memory, and emotion, designed to be held closely, remembered deeply, and carried forward into the future.

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Norma Roldan

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Norma Roldan

Did you Know?

Can We Help?

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