Priya Thoresen

Artist Statement (mostly related to my main body of work). I am a ceramic artist, abstract sculptor, and inventor of systems. Based on the ideas of minimalism and structures such as those found in weaving, I begin with simple shapes and processes, pushing and expanding on an idea within a range of possibilities. Making frequent use of the form of a circle or sphere, references can be made from the cellular and microscopic to the planetary. My work is built slowly, often with thin clay coils which retain a visual memory of the marks of my hands and a history of the labor involved in the process. These coils become lines, circles, squares, and triangles which provide a generative structure which supports the form and allows for a range of experimentation in materials and processes. In other work, I pound, paddle, slice and hollow solid chunks of clay until forms emerge. By assembling parts, I leave room for play and unexpected moments of interest. Results may vary as I push the materials toward the point of collapse. I create contrast in reflective surfaces through the use of glazes and texture with a 6,000 year old material known as Egyptian paste. Recent work embraces the uncontrollable aspects of wood firing. Adding color as a final step redefines my intentions for the finished work. Through gallery installations I create built environments of inquiry through abstraction.
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