Context
1991, in the Studio
My grandmother had a dress shop in New Orleans. I spent my earliest years there, and still remember delighting in the sounds and smells of the shop and the colors, patterns and construction of the garments. Inspiration for my early work comes from that special place on Lowerline Street. Clothing could be tailored any way you wished, and the seamstresses at “College Frocks” did just that, lengthening a hem here, shortening a sleeve there, these ladies taught me the value of a well-made garment and the importance of fine, handmade details.
It was love at first touch when I discovered clay and probably no accident that I soon noticed the way it could be made to resemble fabric. Porcelain, a fine, white clay, is my preference and is particularly suited to the delicate textures I enjoy. I love the way it can mimic other materials, such as leather and lace. As if if assembling from a dressmaker's pattern, I texture and cut simple shapes from which I create the figures, teapots and vessels you see here. No two pieces are alike. How long do they take? As long as it takes until each one feels exactly right.
The past is with me every day. For several years I’ve focused on the teapot form. A humble domestic object, which to me invokes comfort and repose, rejuvenation, vitality and friendship. Teapots require handles, lids, and spouts, but other that that, anything goes. I love to assemble these and all my work, looking for the unexpected in the ordinary. If they happen to resemble cushions or garments, I think you will understand why.
