Bloom: MFA Thesis - Ceramics

Abstract

I create expressive, colorful vessels and botanical sculptures that complicate the relationship between surface and form. Beginning with historic wallpaper patterns that evoke feminine domestic spaces, I repetitively rework motifs from these sources into illustrations and ceramic objects. I imagine these patterns being squeezed out into space through my hands, peeling themselves off the walls they originated from and taking three-dimensional form. As my work confronts the viewer in the round, I imagine it taking on a life of its own, developing a personality and vibrant agency. I feel that I am able to collaborate with my sculptures, seeking an escape from the historic standards that have been applied to women and their creative work. However, I am also seeking the joy and comfort that can be found by embracing the decorative and elements of my own femininity.