Christopher St. John - Artaxis.org

The bull here is depicted as a relic of sacrifice, from a time when human beings believed that the propitiation of gods through animal sacrifice linked us to a greater sense of belonging in the world. With its claggy surfaces, this form asks the viewer about the worth of so much sacrifice when the animal is reduced to a relic.

Christopher St. John - "Relic"
2024, 20"x22"x6", Media: Earthenware / Terracotta, Firing Process: Electric, Low-fire, Oxidation, Surface: Engobe / Slip / Underglaze, Glazed, Oxide
The bull here is depicted as a relic of sacrifice, from a time when human beings believed that the propitiation of gods through animal sacrifice linked us to a greater sense of belonging in the world. With its claggy surfaces, this form asks the viewer about the worth of so much sacrifice when the animal is reduced to a relic.

This ceramic sculpture explores horse and rider themes as a way to navigate relationships between humans and animals. The presence of the electronic device in the rider’s hands is meant to draw attention to the way that use of these devices has been shared with animals, and not with their permission.

Christopher St. John - "Beast of Burden"
2024, 12"x12"x4", Media: Earthenware / Terracotta, Firing Process: Raku, Surface: Glazed
This ceramic sculpture explores horse and rider themes as a way to navigate relationships between humans and animals. The presence of the electronic device in the rider’s hands is meant to draw attention to the way that use of these devices has been shared with animals, and not with their permission.

This piece was part of my Master’s thesis exhibition entitled “How Can We Know Aliens? We Can’t Even Know Rabbits.” The blasted and rusted surface treatments on the form combined with an iconic and symbolic form are meant to link the viewer to both the deep past that we share with animals and the uncertain future that we currently find ourselves contemplating.

Christopher St. John - "Owl"
2024, 16"x22"x12", Media: Earthenware / Terracotta, Firing Process: Electric, Mid-range, Oxidation, Surface: Engobe / Slip / Underglaze, Oxide
This piece was part of my Master’s thesis exhibition entitled “How Can We Know Aliens? We Can’t Even Know Rabbits.” The blasted and rusted surface treatments on the form combined with an iconic and symbolic form are meant to link the viewer to both the deep past that we share with animals and the uncertain future that we currently find ourselves contemplating.

This ceramic sculpture echoes the deep past by creating a hole that appears to be knocked into the center of the form, echoing the way shards are formed in the aging process. The rabbit in this work is meant to draw attention to the emptiness of a form that is an important marker for the health of ecosystems, in that we share similar preferences for ecotones as these animals, in proximity to open field, forest, and water source.

Christopher St. John - "Rabbit"
2024, 18"x18"x6", Media: Earthenware / Terracotta, Firing Process: Electric, Low-fire, Oxidation, Surface: Engobe / Slip / Underglaze, Oxide
This ceramic sculpture echoes the deep past by creating a hole that appears to be knocked into the center of the form, echoing the way shards are formed in the aging process. The rabbit in this work is meant to draw attention to the emptiness of a form that is an important marker for the health of ecosystems, in that we share similar preferences for ecotones as these animals, in proximity to open field, forest, and water source.

The title of this work refers to the star Gliese 581, which is a star roughly 20 parcecs from Earth that contains the first known planet to occupy the habitable zone of another star. This star and exoplanet has been important in my practice as a way to connect ceramics to the discovery of life on other worlds. Where life is posited to exist, water must also be present, which in turn requires clay. This vessel references all of these elements, the possibility of life as a container for water.

Christopher St. John - "Gliese"
2024, 16"x10"x10", Media: Earthenware / Terracotta, Firing Process: Electric, Mid-range, Oxidation, Surface: Engobe / Slip / Underglaze, Glazed, Oxide
The title of this work refers to the star Gliese 581, which is a star roughly 20 parcecs from Earth that contains the first known planet to occupy the habitable zone of another star. This star and exoplanet has been important in my practice as a way to connect ceramics to the discovery of life on other worlds. Where life is posited to exist, water must also be present, which in turn requires clay. This vessel references all of these elements, the possibility of life as a container for water.

The rabbit has been an important marker in my work, and I have used it to explore a variety of themes, including loss. Loss and rebirth are evoked in this singular work, both through the linkages of the ears decorated with leaves, and the hole opened up in the form, which is simultaneously opening and closing. This form also asks the viewer to consider animal as both container and presence.

Christopher St. John - "Rupture"
2024, 22"x18"x9", Media: Earthenware / Terracotta, Firing Process: Electric, Low-fire, Oxidation, Surface: Engobe / Slip / Underglaze, Glazed, Oxide
The rabbit has been an important marker in my work, and I have used it to explore a variety of themes, including loss. Loss and rebirth are evoked in this singular work, both through the linkages of the ears decorated with leaves, and the hole opened up in the form, which is simultaneously opening and closing. This form also asks the viewer to consider animal as both container and presence.

In both its physical manifestation and its presence in myth and folklore, the moon is an important touchstone in my thinking and practice, and this work describes some of the moon’s phases in a single ceramic sculpture.

Christopher St. John - "The Moon"
2024, 18"x18"x10", Media: Earthenware / Terracotta, Firing Process: Low-fire, Oxidation, Surface: Engobe / Slip / Underglaze, Oxide
In both its physical manifestation and its presence in myth and folklore, the moon is an important touchstone in my thinking and practice, and this work describes some of the moon’s phases in a single ceramic sculpture.

My practice focuses on animals to elevate feelings of care and tenderness in the audience. At the same time, I am interested in interrupting that typical response to a common animal like the rabbit to create tension in the audience, to make the encounter a little strange. I believe it is important to create objects that subtly counteract expectations to draw attention to the misperception of a singular identity that animals are believed to share.

Christopher St. John - "Rabbit"
2024, 6"x4"x4", Media: Earthenware / Terracotta, Firing Process: Electric, Oxidation, Surface: Engobe / Slip / Underglaze, Glazed, Oxide
My practice focuses on animals to elevate feelings of care and tenderness in the audience. At the same time, I am interested in interrupting that typical response to a common animal like the rabbit to create tension in the audience, to make the encounter a little strange. I believe it is important to create objects that subtly counteract expectations to draw attention to the misperception of a singular identity that animals are believed to share.

I often make animals that have both personal and cultural significance in my work. In this piece, I use the iconic nature of the bull, with a large void in the open mouth, to draw attention to our insatiable appetite for beef, and the way that an iconic animal becomes a site for exploring humor and pathos.

Christopher St. John - "Void"
2024, 14"x14"x8", Media: Earthenware / Terracotta, Firing Process: Low-fire, Oxidation, Surface: Engobe / Slip / Underglaze, Glazed, Oxide
I often make animals that have both personal and cultural significance in my work. In this piece, I use the iconic nature of the bull, with a large void in the open mouth, to draw attention to our insatiable appetite for beef, and the way that an iconic animal becomes a site for exploring humor and pathos.

Referencing Tree of Life modalities, this ceramic sculpture draws attention to the magnificence of the bat in sculptural form as well as poetically describing decay and loss. Bats in North American are currently in decline due to a fungus infection that thrives in warmer climates.

Christopher St. John - "Bat"
2023, 18"x14"x5", Media: Earthenware / Terracotta, Firing Process: Electric, Oxidation, Surface: Engobe / Slip / Underglaze, Glazed
Referencing Tree of Life modalities, this ceramic sculpture draws attention to the magnificence of the bat in sculptural form as well as poetically describing decay and loss. Bats in North American are currently in decline due to a fungus infection that thrives in warmer climates.

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Artist Statement

My ceramic and multidisiplinary work reframes relationships with animals, nurturing empathy and compassion in an era marked by mass extinction, utilizing the animal form as a poignant symbol of life's fragility.

Crafting animals allows me to forge poetic links challenging the notion that personhood is solely human. My approach to hand-building is informed by historical cultures with intimate connections to animals, their environments, and contemporary technologies. Research into biology, biodiversity, microbiology, Gaia Theory, and critiques of the "Anthropocene" shape my practice, emphasizing the vulnerability of all life.

Engaging with ceramic effigies allows me to simplify forms, reflecting the emotional bonds people maintain with the animal body. I leverage this connection to mirror humanity's tendency to 'otherize' the natural world. The effigy elevates the unseen and unheard, fostering empathy without dwelling on suffering, emphasizing agency for possibility.

Aged surfaces on my ceramic pieces invite viewers to explore clay's rich history. Distressed, fractured, and weathered textures evoke a sense of timelessness, achieved through atmospheric firings and electric kiln techniques. Clay's ubiquity and capacity to inspire care make it an ideal medium, both versatile and deeply rooted in human evolution.

As a handbuilder, I prefer medium to large-scale earthenware clays, employing coil and slab techniques to create standing animal forms. These have served as canvases for visual and narrative development through sgraffito, glaze work, and projections of sound, video and animation.

Bio

Christopher St. John received his BFA from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks and his MFA in Ceramics at Ohio University. He served four years active duty in the Army. Travel has informed his practice, both in choice of material, appreciation of light and landscape, and adaptability to changing conditions. Christopher has work in the permanent collections of both the Museum of the North in Fairbanks, Alaska, and the Hawaii State Art Museum. He is always at home in a forest.

Artist Statement

Bio

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