Statement
I find comfort in making, physically manifesting contemplation through labor. Though a gesture of generosity, the process is also compulsive, carrying the weight of an obligation. I am continuously navigating this dichotomy, negotiating the needs of my work with my own capacity to give; I empathize with the nurse. I feel deeply connected to and profoundly detached from the things I make, like a vital organ tethered outside of my body.
I am compelled by seemingly disparate images and observations: scar tissue, heavy blankets, capillary action, mending, the warmth and weight of our bodies. I want to articulate how material and form have the potential to simultaneously elicit tenderness, familiarity, and alienation. Through material investigation my thoughts become sculpture. This labor-intensive process relies on endurance and care. I am aided by the physical properties of clay and fiber. They respond directly to the pull of gravity and might bulge, swell, or sag like flesh. Both can be quite strong or fragile, impervious or porous. It is unclear if my material or conceptual curiosity came first. They operate in tandem.
— Allison Rose Craver
Bio
Allison Rose Craver (1988) grew up in East Aurora, NY. She will complete her MFA, with a concentration in ceramics, at Ohio State University in May and holds a BFA from New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University (2010). In 2011 she studied as a special student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Allison has shown work nationally, including at Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts in Helena, MT and Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, TN. In 2014 she was invited to demonstrate in the Process Room at the annual National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts conference in Milwaukee, WI. Allison’s work is process driven, utilizing ceramics materials in conjunction with fiber and found objects to explore the nature of care and work. She currently lives and makes in Columbus, OH.