Ryan R Schnirel

A day after lightning struck my childhood home, I pulled a vitrified chunk from the rubble, and instantly felt my path was set. I sense a significance in the metamorphic qualities and the power of transforming soft earth into solid rocks. Pulling red mud from my boots and turning it to pots becomes an expression of slowing down and furthering an appreciation for the world we reside upon and wish to preserve. I am a seeker, yet do not believe in knowing anything with full certainty. I specifically work in clay because it allows me to follow a geological process I’ve spent my entire life observing. Firing wood kilns tests theories of deep atmospheric conditions. How was the wood processed? Who stoked the kiln? How may our experience of ritual determine perceptions of outcome? Do we have influence? Does fire have sentience? Touching and climbing the rocky walls of the American West have left deep impressions on me. My forms, textures, surfaces, and firing processes link me to the landscapes my eyes, body, and heart explore. I translate these moments into the pots I make, while also gathering materials from these places to support my connections, both conceptually and formally. The work becomes a promotion of the cyclical: rock to river, river to banks, banks to fire, fire to rocks, repeat. It humbles me to work through this process, and see myself more clearly when upholding modesty in my pursuits. Art serves as my grounding force. It offers me a space to engage with my environment and locate a voice in the community. I believe in making objects. I value clear insight, deep learning, and hard work. I embody these qualities, and create and live in this spirit so my firing team, studio mates, and viewers cultivate authentic connections. An interaction that creates more reverence for life rests at the core of my pursuits.
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