Impressionable Marks
Our physical landscape is ever changing as corporations dictate its uses and establish the outcomes. Inspired by the book The Lure of the Local by Lucy Lippard, I am investigating my sense of permanence in my own community that is situated in a heavily forested area on the west coast
of Vancouver Island. The idea of permanence within the landscape is another area I grapple with as I watch sections of our forest disappear due to forest practices and yet I need to come to terms with the connections of the land to what the majority of people do for a living in my region. The notion of ‘observed landscape’ and ‘lived in landscape’ applies to this project as I ponder the uses of the land around me and how I function within it. This work that I have offered in this installation was part of a table setting of ceramic work done in a Tromp l’oeil style that resembles wood. This work was part of a series titled, Who Provides This Meal? and asks the viewer to think about the idea of provision, jobs, sourced materials, family and wealth and wellbeing. As well, I hope the viewer is taken to a deeper understanding of the complexities that surround the practice of an industry that affects them directly within the boundaries of living and consuming on planet earth.
ANITA LAWRENCE
I have been a maker of pots for over 20 years. The material of clay has always appealed to me as a medium that can be transformed into almost anything I can imagine. I work primarily on the potter’s wheel to create functional stoneware and I use a slab roller for forming tiles and platters. Functional ware is a pleasure for me to create and my throwing focuses mainly on platters, bowls, mugs, cups and other serving dishes. The nature of clay as a malleable medium lends itself to a therapeutic process of introspection and contemplation and is completely mesmerizing to observe. A viewer is often impressed watching a demonstration of a ball of clay being molded into a beautiful shape or manipulated into a different profile by cutting away or piercing the clay.
My current work reflects the flora and fauna of the area as well as more abstract designs interpreted from nature. I see my pottery taking a turn from purely functional to more conceptual, relating to topics of environment and sustainability.