Liz Lurie - potter
Artist Statement
I grew up in a household were there was a tremendous respect for things handmade. Furniture, books, paintings and pottery all helped to transform our house into a home. They radiated warmth, a life, a history, a beauty and a strength which enriched our lives. They provided solace, were used in celebrations, contemplation and sometimes broken in anger. When I go home to visit, they hold rich memories of thirty-plus years of use. It is my hope that my pots provide for their users in a similar manner, and in so doing become an intimate part of the daily rhythm of life.
Often I reflect upon Czech novelist Milan Kundera's words. "There is a secret bond between slowness and memory, between speed and forgetting". I would like to think that I make work which takes time to discover. The dark nuanced surfaces are a quiet background to celebrate food and drink. Perhaps after each use one notices something different, a subtle gesture or mark that involved one to such a degree that for a moment the user is compelled to pause and slow down.
I am comforted by the place that pots occupy in the home. They reside in bookshelves and on desks, behind closed cupboards waiting to be chosen and on countertops ready for use. Though pottery may stir in the recesses of our domestic clutter, it remains an integral part of why home can be such a grounding force in our lives.
All may work is fired in a "train" style wood burning kiln, originally designed by John Neely. In 2003 Louise Rosenfield, myself and four other women potters completed this kiln. We made some adjustments and adapted it to suit our needs. A typical firing lasts from 34-40 hours being stoked around the clock and using nearly two cords of wood. At the end of each firing, after we have reached the desired temperature, we cool the kiln in a reducing atmosphere which accounts for the dark rich surfaces.
Even after ten years of unstacking wood kilns, I find there are endless surprises. Opening the kiln door always gives me an adrenalin rush: successful pots that are too few in numbers, pots that need more developing, pots that were complete mistakes. I go back to the studio rejuvenated and the cycle of making and firing starts again.
You can see more of Liz's work by visiting her website lizlurie.com.
©2024 Liz Lurie. All rights reserved. Duplication is not allowed without permission.