Tiffany Schmierer ( she/her/hers )

Artist Statement

I create intuitively assembled ceramic sculptures with a density of pattern, imagery, and detail. Rather than edit down to the minimal, I embrace the intricacy of our visual culture. Formative practices of collecting and arranging, constructing from found materials, and filling the drawing page have been a continuous influence on my maximalist approach and aesthetic. I think of my sculptures as three-dimensional collages, where chains of ideas are layered to create a cohesive whole. The theme that weaves through this series is the interconnections we have with each other and with our complex environment. Taking a moment to appreciate these inner and outer ties promotes much-needed empathy and caring for the complex invisible web that we link to and which shapes us.

Bio

Tiffany Schmierer received her MFA with an emphasis in ceramics from San Francisco State University in 2004. Her complex abstract ceramic sculptures are multi-layered with rich color, pattern, and imagery. Her sculpture has been exhibited in regional, national, and international exhibitions; selected venues include the American Museum of Ceramic Art, Crocker Art Museum, New Taipei City Yingge Ceramics Museum, Marin Museum of Contemporary Art, Museum of the Northern California, Randall Museum, San Luis Obispo Museum of Art, Blue Line Gallery, The Clay Studio, The Clay Mix Gallery, Epperson Gallery, Gallery Susan Alexander, Gearbox Gallery, John Natsoulas Gallery, Manna Gallery, Pence Gallery, Sanchez Art Center, San Pablo Art Gallery, and the Richmond Art Center Gallery. Recognitions for her sculpture include the First Place Jurors award at America’s Clayfest, a NICHE Award for ceramic sculpture, and the Alpha Award for best in show at the California Clay Competition. Schmierer’s sculpture has also been featured in the publications Ceramics: Art & Perception, Ceramics Monthly, and New Ceramics. Her work is in several permanent collections including the American Museum of Ceramic Art, the Alameda County Art Collection, and the Long Beach Museum of Art.

Schmierer is a Professor of Art at Skyline College in San Bruno, CA, where she has run the ceramics program for the last 16 years. She has also taught ceramics at San Francisco State University, Merritt College, Cosumnes River College, Cabrillo College, and in workshops and community classes throughout the greater San Francisco Bay Area. Schmierer currently works out of her San Francisco studio.