JoAnn F. Axford

Glenmont, New York, USA

Title: Magnolia and Tanager

Year of Creation: 2010

Glaze: None, polished

Clay Body: Porcelain

Dimensions: Height 14.5 inches, Width 6.75 inches

Artist's Statement: For centuries potters have been making pots to satisfy the functional needs of society - the storage and safekeeping of their nourishment. My pots are also about containment and safekeeping. They contain my response to the natural world and my wish for its preservation. The flowers of the woodlands and gardens of my upstate New York home continue to be the subjects of my work. Works of other artists have entered into the dialogues within my work. The woodblock prints of 19thc Japanese artist Kono Bairei have inspired the integration of birds with flora in a new series, the first of which is Magnolia and Tanager. The intricate beauty in nature compels me to employ a complex process where I carve bas-relief botanical images into the leather hard clay. Each unglazed porcelain piece is hand polished to achieve a smooth marble like sheen. As objects of contemplation, it is my hope that my pots will celebrate the beauty and strength of nature and encourage its preservation.