Crystal Pillsbury

Orlando, Florida, USA

Title: Woodfired Vase

Year of Creation: 2008

Glaze: Wood fired

Clay Body: Stoneware

Dimensions: Height 7 inches, Width 5 inches

Artist's Statement: I love the idea that our most sensitive receptors to texture are our hands and mouth. Although I do consider visual aspects of design in my pieces, I believe the most intimate interactions occur on the physical level. Therefore, I create functional pieces that demand to be touched and used in order to be fully experienced. I delight in textures and often juxtapose rough, textured bodies on my pots with smooth, fluid rims and feet. These pieces stretch the boundaries between functionality and sculpture. I am also inspired by cultures that embrace asymmetry. Recent travels to Europe have encouraged me to leave behind preconceived ideas of perfection as an ideal for beauty and embrace individuality in my work. Spain, in particular, has had a profound effect. Often, table settings are handmade and mismatched in color, size and style; thus allowing the viewer to appreciate each piece for its uniqueness. I expect my work to combine all of these ideals into an intimate, physical experience every time it is used.