The Road From Jena
The Road From Jena celebrates the work of German idealist philosopher George Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel in particular his Philosophy of Spirit in which he sets forward the idea of the epitome of freedom being that of self-awareness.
Each of the 5 ceramic forms twists and turns in relation to the experience of moment to moment coiling method used to build them. Like a human conscious they represent, the phenomenal experiences gathered throughout life writhe through the known and unknown coming together into a finite existence. Each form, unplanned, comes into its own unique pattern of being, however, the similarity of form suggests the connection to a larger shared identity. Faceted tails represent a starting point for all in that journey while each head turns back in contemplative analysis.
Each sits atop tilted stands, significant of the organic nature of support and guidance around them. However, always in a state of flux themselves, that support creates a precarious situation of unease in which one can falter and crash.
Ruminations On Jena
This collaborative effort builds off the initial examinations of The Road from Jena, extending the reflection of self towards the natural and man-made forces that contribute to the phenomenal experiences addressed in the ceramic forms. Collaborator Adam Taylor's exploratory graphic design work branched into the space on and around the ceramic works, extending their personal narratives outward to larger possibilities of discovery.
Ruminations on Jena celebrates the work of German idealist philosopher George Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel in particular his Philosophy of Spirit in which he sets forward the idea of the epitome of freedom being that of self-awareness.
Each of the 3 ceramic forms twists and turns in relation to the experience of moment to moment coiling method used to build them. Like a human conscious they represent, the phenomenal experiences gathered throughout life writhe through the known and unknown coming together into a finite existence. Each form, unplanned, comes into its own unique pattern of being, however, the similarity of form suggests the connection to a larger shared identity. Faceted tails represent a starting point for all in that journey while each head turns back in contemplative analysis. Each sits atop tilted stands, significant of the organic nature of support and guidance around them. However, always in a state of flux themselves, that support creates a precarious situation of unease in which one can falter and crash.
Lost nova found
I was contemplating the transition of generational knowledge and societal control while creating this piece. The concept of a supernova emerged as a fitting metaphor for this shift. When a star goes supernova, it releases all the information and energy contained within its gravitational space into the universe. This cosmic event symbolizes the transfer of accumulated wisdom, experiences, and cultural legacies from one generation to the next. The radiant explosion disperses elements and knowledge, which then travel across the cosmos to form new celestial bodies. Similarly, in society, the insights and understandings of an older generation are passed down, reshaping and becoming part of the foundation for future generations to build upon. The supernova, with its brilliant and transformative energy, captures the essence of this dynamic and cyclical process of renewal and continuity.
