MFA Thesis Exhibit

Jake Brodsky

Ceramic Art

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Artist Statement

I make pots. I enjoy asking both nuanced questions of form as well as big-picture questions of what pots do in our world, but it is the latter which has guided my research this year. Objects can acquire their own kind of agency through being enmeshed in the social fabric of our lives. Vessels, as containers, delineate an interior and exterior space and connect the two. They are metaphors for our bodies, which bridge our interior psychological space from the exterior world that we inhabit. 
 
My work is rooted in ideas of life, death, and transformation. Ceramics is a time-based medium, and I have been exploring the concept of time in different formats in my work: repetition as a marker of time, time in the context of funerary vessels, the time of visible transformation and melting that happens in the kiln, and time expressed through the drying of wet clay. Things happen linearly in the transformation of clay to ceramic, but from my perspective as a maker, this linear progression, repeated many times, becomes cyclical. There is a rhythm to working in repetition that creates an infinite amount of potential expression.
Wide-angle view of Jake’s show in Fosdick-Nelson Gallery, Time is a Flat Circle. In the foreground, there are several wood fired vessels on pedestals. On the left side of the gallery there is a grid of shelves on the wall, five across and two deep, with jars sitting on them, called Markers of a Place and Time. On the back wall is an installation of 158 plates, called Big Sky, which are glazed in a gradient of blue. On the right side of the gallery is a display of cups on a shelf. Click to view Wide-angle view of Jake’s show in Fosdick-Nelson Gallery, Time is a Flat Circle. In the foreground, there are several wood fired vessels on pedestals. On the left side of the gallery there is a grid of shelves on the wall, five across and two deep, with jars sitting on them, called Markers of a Place and Time. On the back wall is an installation of 158 plates, called Big Sky, which are glazed in a gradient of blue. On the right side of the gallery is a display of cups on a shelf. Full-Screen

Jake Brodsky // Time is a Flat Circle // Ceramic and Unfired Clay

Installation of 158 plates hanging on the wall which are glazed in a gradient of blue from light in the bottom-center to dark on top. Each plate is roughly 10” wide. In front of the wall is a clay plinth on the floor of the gallery that is approximately 3.5’ wide, with three low, bulbous vessels on top of it. Click to view Installation of 158 plates hanging on the wall which are glazed in a gradient of blue from light in the bottom-center to dark on top. Each plate is roughly 10” wide. In front of the wall is a clay plinth on the floor of the gallery that is approximately 3.5’ wide, with three low, bulbous vessels on top of it. Full-Screen

Jake Brodsky // Big Sky // Ceramic and Unfired Clay Plinth // Wall: 10’ x 20’

One light blue plate hangs on a wall with 6 plates hanging around it, which are partially cut off by the border of the image. The plates are roughly 10” wide. There is a radial pattern on each of the plates that extends from a small circle in the middle out towards the edges. The glaze is satiny and not reflective. Click to view One light blue plate hangs on a wall with 6 plates hanging around it, which are partially cut off by the border of the image. The plates are roughly 10” wide. There is a radial pattern on each of the plates that extends from a small circle in the middle out towards the edges. The glaze is satiny and not reflective. Full-Screen

Jake Brodsky // Big Sky (Closeup) // Ceramic // Plates: 10” x 10” x 1.5”

A large bowl piled full of cups sits on a pedestal, with a wall of plates behind it. The cups are a range of shapes and are glazed in a variety of colors with satiny glazes. It feels like a cornucopia of pots that you want to explore and pick through, but they are piled rather precariously in a way that makes you nervous to touch them. Click to view A large bowl piled full of cups sits on a pedestal, with a wall of plates behind it. The cups are a range of shapes and are glazed in a variety of colors with satiny glazes. It feels like a cornucopia of pots that you want to explore and pick through, but they are piled rather precariously in a way that makes you nervous to touch them. Full-Screen

Jake Brodsky // Too Much of a Good Thing // Ceramic // Bowl of Cups: 24” x 24” x 24”

Seven cups with handles and saucers sit on a floating shelf. All of the cups have a rich, dark brown glaze except for one, which is light blue. They are sitting on square tiles, or saucers, which are light shades of orange and tan. The handles are all peculiar shapes that feel unfamiliar and awkward, sticking out in odd directions. Click to view Seven cups with handles and saucers sit on a floating shelf. All of the cups have a rich, dark brown glaze except for one, which is light blue. They are sitting on square tiles, or saucers, which are light shades of orange and tan. The handles are all peculiar shapes that feel unfamiliar and awkward, sticking out in odd directions. Full-Screen

Jake Brodsky // Cups and Saucers // Ceramic // Installation: 2’ x 7’ x 1.5’, Individual cups and saucers: Approx. 5” x 4” x 4”

A large, dark basin sits on a pedestal in front of a wall of six large ceramic tiles. You can’t see much of the interior of the basin, which is in shadow, but can see the profile and the shadow cast underneath it. The tiles, which are out of focus in the background, are each 20” tall and are hanging on the wall in three mirrored pairs. The outer pairs are lighter colored and the middle one is darker. Click to view A large, dark basin sits on a pedestal in front of a wall of six large ceramic tiles. You can’t see much of the interior of the basin, which is in shadow, but can see the profile and the shadow cast underneath it. The tiles, which are out of focus in the background, are each 20” tall and are hanging on the wall in three mirrored pairs. The outer pairs are lighter colored and the middle one is darker. Full-Screen

Jake Brodsky // Basin and Range // Ceramic // Bowl: 10” x 24” x 24”

An installation of jars is displayed on a wall with a ceramic plinth in front of it on the floor. Ten horizontal ceramic slabs/shelves come off the wall, five across and two deep, with jars sitting on them. Each shelf is 20” wide, and they are the same size as the ones which are hanging on the wall in the previous image. Some of the shelves have two jars, some of them have one jar, and one of the shelves does not have any jars on it. The jars are all straightforward and unapologetic cylinders with obvious throwing lines from a potter’s wheel. They have a variety of shades of dark glazes which are made up primarily of a local shale from around Alfred. Click to view An installation of jars is displayed on a wall with a ceramic plinth in front of it on the floor. Ten horizontal ceramic slabs/shelves come off the wall, five across and two deep, with jars sitting on them. Each shelf is 20” wide, and they are the same size as the ones which are hanging on the wall in the previous image. Some of the shelves have two jars, some of them have one jar, and one of the shelves does not have any jars on it. The jars are all straightforward and unapologetic cylinders with obvious throwing lines from a potter’s wheel. They have a variety of shades of dark glazes which are made up primarily of a local shale from around Alfred. Full-Screen

Jake Brodsky // Markers of a Place and Time // Ceramic, Unfired Clay, Steel // Jar display: 3’ x 10’ x 1’

Six ceramic shelves come off the wall, with one or two jars sitting on most of them. One shelf has nothing on it. The jars are all straightforward and unapologetic cylinders with obvious throwing lines from a potter’s wheel. They have a variety of shades of dark glazes which are made up primarily of a local shale from around Alfred. Click to view Six ceramic shelves come off the wall, with one or two jars sitting on most of them. One shelf has nothing on it. The jars are all straightforward and unapologetic cylinders with obvious throwing lines from a potter’s wheel. They have a variety of shades of dark glazes which are made up primarily of a local shale from around Alfred. Full-Screen

Jake Brodsky // Markers of a Place and Time (Closeup) // Ceramic, Steel // 3’ x 6’ x 1’

One dark ceramic shelf comes off the wall, with two jars sitting on it. The shelf is 20” wide and 2” thick. The jars are vertical cylinders about 12” high with obvious throwing lines from a potter’s wheel. They are a pair, with a similar dark matte variegated glaze which is made up primarily of a local shale from around Alfred. Click to view One dark ceramic shelf comes off the wall, with two jars sitting on it. The shelf is 20” wide and 2” thick. The jars are vertical cylinders about 12” high with obvious throwing lines from a potter’s wheel. They are a pair, with a similar dark matte variegated glaze which is made up primarily of a local shale from around Alfred. Full-Screen

Jake Brodsky // Markers of a Place and Time (Closeup) // Ceramic, Steel // 18” x 24” x 12”

Two oval bowls, 12” wide and 6” high, sit on a pedestal. They are wood fired, and the surface has shades of orange, red, grey, and brown. You can’t see much of the interior of the bowls but they have a fullness that is enhanced by their narrow feet. The rim is thin and uneven, recalling a horizon line of a mountain. Click to view Two oval bowls, 12” wide and 6” high, sit on a pedestal. They are wood fired, and the surface has shades of orange, red, grey, and brown. You can’t see much of the interior of the bowls but they have a fullness that is enhanced by their narrow feet. The rim is thin and uneven, recalling a horizon line of a mountain. Full-Screen

Jake Brodsky // Oval Vessels // Ceramic // 6” x 12” x 9”