Joe Hicks

Artist Statement

My vessels are evidence of persistent inquiry, and the development of new aesthetic principles and processes through investigating the relationships involving the physical nature of clay materials, form and compositional design, and the firing process.

I control the radiant energy of fire to transcendentally engage with, and decorate the surfaces of my vessels. This interaction between atmosphere and material is unpredictable, and provides endless investigation in colliding randomness with structure, challenging my ideas of control. These vessels become individual artifacts capturing and forever displaying the alliance between process and material.

-- Joe Hicks

Bio

Joe Hicks maintains the appointment of Associate Professor of Fine Art at Marymount University in Arlington, VA. There, he developed and continues to grow the ceramics and 3D design program in the Department of Fine Arts, including the establishment of a ceramics minor in 2016. The ceramics program at Marymount focuses on developing skills in traditional production and sculptural techniques, exploring new methods associated with product design and industrial manufacturing techniques, and building community relationships.

Joe retains a serious commitment to producing high quality ceramic vessels and functional pottery, and has exclusively focused on experimenting with shino glazes for more than a decade. He participates in exhibitions and craft shows on regional and national levels, leads workshops focusing on his research of carbon trap shino glazes and firing techniques, and enjoys building constructive relationships throughout the artist community.