NCECA

Once more with feeling

Oh those pesky new years resolutions - which will be the first to fall? The theme this week - "stupid stuff we love". Here is my entry, the ceramic polar bears that sit at the bottom of my fishtank.

The Birds

Some bird headed figures I have been making lately.

Pink Case

This is a detail from our lovely hallway display case. All things pink.

Forward HO!

decompression in the west was just the ticket for me. The battle of greasy grass aka the battle of the little bighorn aka, custers last stand is it!!!

Bossy

This Ceramics Bitch helped me make my square

Square

Today I made a square. It's a good square.

I'm just making a bunch of crap

Here is what I am working on today

Every week the damn story cups - we are up to week #5 - Who thought of this stupid idea anyway - oh yeah, that would be me...

Here we go again

And so another year slowly quickly grinds to a start (just trying to see how many metaphors I can mix at once). We were going to start with the topic of " the strangest thing I did this summer" but now the leaves are changing and I for one can hardly remember this summer - so now the theme is
"Here is what I am working on today"

Chit and Chat on the Artblog

click here to read the rest

Artist Statement

In my work I dissociate objects from their intended purpose and locations so that I can reconfigure or represent them in a way that can give them poetic meaning and lead to a questioning of the naturalness of their materiality and conditions of existence.

Rather than being bound by any particular methodology towards process and technique, I resist finding easy categories for the creative process and by extension, what the viewer can expect from the finished work. One of the most difficult and exciting aspects of my current process involves negotiating the space between the unexpected and surprising outcomes of a particular process and communicating explicit content and intention. Through this negotiation, I discover meaningful relationships that arise from an activity of unmaking and remaking, intervention and transformation.

Recent Work

Artist Statement

images of new work

Statement

Daniel Forrest Hoffman

As I look around the city I grew up in I see many structures being cleared to make way for newer buildings. In addition I notice an American custom of romanticizing our history. We do this through naming rivers after Native Americans, and by commemorating where old buildings once stood. This practice seems to represent a disconnect between the city and its inhabitants; a disconnect between place and subject; a disconnect between people and culture. I wonder where that disconnect lies and how we repair it before we destroy things that we really want.
While living in Rome I noticed the ruins of one amphitheatre of which my guide didn’t even know the history. With so much historically significant architecture the city could have easily demolished this in favor of a new building, which would have utilized Rome’s space more efficiently. Instead they reinforced the structure and put apartments inside maintaining the historic façade. I immediately contrasted that to my hometown where we had just demolished Veterans’ Stadium. Now “Vet” Stadium I’m sure wasn’t nearly as historically significant as this ancient Roman amphitheatre, but many people had memories there. It was a part of my hometown.
Thinking back on my travel experiences and the reverence for place and history that exists in the inhabitants there, illustrated a sharp contrast to my hometown. It seemed that one of the major differences is that as a country of immigrants we have such shallow roots that we have no real investment in place. Personal and community experiences create an investment in place.
How do we relate to our homes in a culture where the physical structure of the home probably will not last? Is the structure important? How are our memories impacted by the practice of demolition and reconstruction as opposed to simply renovation? How does all of this impact family? How do the memories of a place live on after that place has been demolished? These are questions I wish to address in my work.

Source Material

More Source Material

source material !!

hidin' in the woods!

character maps!

mascot head! and Orozco skull!

cow duck!

Source Material

Source material

this mustache is the source of all of my work.

more source stuff

Source Material

This is my graph paper and my shark Adam made for me. I think the graph paper is a little more influential, as I've been thinking about it and making things with it. It occupies a space in my brain that sounds like this, is it line? is it pattern? is it line?..........The shark is just awesome it's 5 feet long, has 6 tounges and emerald green eyes.

So Much Hair

Baby cheese grater and turkcalf

Pick up Sticks - Winner!

Is seems like working with your hands has unexpected benefits (like having the physical control and dexterity to win the 2009 Pick up Sticks tournament!!!)

Help a Former OSUer

Check out my super etsy sale. all last years work just waiting for you to buy.

so darn cheap. gotta pay those student loans you know.

naomiclearyceramics.etsy.com

Rainbow Toothpaste

Sometimes grad school means rainbow toothpaste art.

welcome to the midwest

Non Fiction at The Clay Studio

Check out my post on the Non Fiction Show at TCS.