Ryan Caldwell

Artist Statement

A red striped pole,

A sparsely painted concrete wall,

The yellow and white

patterning of painted street lines.

I am intrigued by the visual compositions hidden within the environment of everyday life. These references are brief aesthetic moments in time which are recorded in my memory. As I strip down these compositions to their essential elements they become part of a lexicon of formal decisions that are translated onto my utilitarian forms through patterns, colors, and configurations. Through this translation my work inspires a sensory response, visually and tactilely, that offer instances of interaction between the maker, object, and user.

Pottery facilitates relationships in personal daily rituals as well as larger communal gatherings. I am motivated by the way pottery activates memory and gains sentiment through use. As vessels for food and drink, pottery also has the ability to support larger emotional connections with others and within ourselves.

By utilizing wheel-thrown forms, I am able to create a conversation between pattern and purpose. Beginning with a set of geometric parameters such as shape, line, and repetition, my process evolves into an intuitive action and reaction with each pot. As I alter and refine each form, I am able to reflect upon the referenced composition and transform it through my own intuition of pattern and design. The layering of these elements creates a conversation between the domestic and the industrial landscape.

-- Ryan Caldwell

Bio

Ryan Caldwell received his Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree with emphasis in Ceramics and Sculpture from Washburn University, in Topeka Kansas, and was awarded the Charles A. and Margaret Pollak Art Purchase Award in 2015.

He has been a short term artist in residence at the Red Lodge Clay Center in Montana and Medalta in Alberta, Canada. His work resides in the art collections of the The Mulvane Art Museum and the Shimpo permeant collection. Ryan is currently a MFA Candidate at the University of Montana in Missoula.