Nick Joerling
Maker/Collector Statement
I feel a bit of an interloper into the theme of this exhibition. I'm not one of those smart potters who collects their own work, holding on to their best piece from each firing. I field test what I make by using those pots at home, but their stay is temporary. For my own work, ours is a half way house to determine if a form is well enough behaved to be permanently adopted by someone else.
The studio is another matter. There I have two ware carts filled with old work -- glaze ware, bisque ware, greenware; ideas, apparent dead ends, reminders, possibilities.
The pot of mine (Pocket Vase) I've included in this exhibition is one of only a couple that has resided in our home long term. It was a first attempt to explore a new form, what I came to call 'pocket vases.' What was initially exciting was to discover I could take the wheel thrown pot, throw it out on the table, stretch it, and make the form more organic. The form also gave me a flat plane to decorate on.
I have many many pots at home from other potters. This Oil and Vinegar Set is by Hayne Bayless. There's a lively gesture to Hayne's hand built pots that appeals to me. The tray is lovely in its simplicity. The seat for the oil and vinegar becomes the foot for the tray. The tray and the pots interact. It's not simply a matter of them fitting together. They need one another.