John's Bio

I have been an artist for many years now and always have difficulty with these artist statements without seemingly going off the deep end verbally. I feel it is almost impossible to convey the meaning of my artwork and the passion can't be summed up by literature, but that in itself is the lure of creating. So, here we go again.

Art is a communication from hands to visual perception that opens minds. Good art leaves an awe struck silence that I can't say what is really doing in reality, but it transcends language into feeling. This experience, no matter what art medium, reaches out and touches us from our eyes to our hearts. The connection to me is evocative and stimulating.

Art is a bridge that I yearn to cross, over and over. The bridge is what connects me to those who share this vivacious willingness to see and share this beauty that gives us more out of life.

In all of this is a powerful feeling of harmony and fulfillment that I thrive on. This feeling I first experienced in 8th grade arts and crafts class. It is an unexplainable buzz. "Feeling the alpha waves", when time is suspended and what I am looking at is in perfect perception. Balance and wholeness is evident and all that seems to matter is now. Knowing that this particular moment might make it to be frozen in time by fire, possibly kissed by the angels of a timeless power of all that is living and dead. The simplicity is that as ceramic artists, we merely share the splendors of mother earth. Sure, we are the creators, but only for the moment of time where the mind is able to transcend human emotion. "The art is in the process" and when the process is done, initially I feel a subtle sadness as I know this little phase of my relationship with the clay has come to an end. I believe it is kind of a post-partem thing that never takes too long to snap out of. I'll then enjoy the work and begin to look forward to the next series of vessels.

The fire produces the "real gems" in a painstakingly few and far between manner. I have learned profound lessons in humility to the point where firings have brought me to tears. Yet I always take risks by stretching the envelope of the mineral's physical properties. It is by taking risks that allows me to really reveal what I want the work to attain. More appealing than any deliberate human design work is the dramatic impact of the fire as it sweeps its way around the intervening stack of vessels.

The collision of fire centered on design work is devastatingly luscious, as well as really hard to achieve perfectly. At the same time just design work and solid glazing or the flashing patters alone are enough to carry a piece. Ultimately the fire whispers to me which ones have more of that old wisdom, or whatever it is!

Ceramics is a very process oriented occasion and every step of the process is absolutely vital to the end result. And I will admit, there is a limited number of my won work that I consider "knock outs", "the tasty", or "a screamer"... With so much labor going into each body of work and so few pieces which truly earn my soul's profound attention, it is easy for me to wonder "how can I make them better?" So, I try making them better and the work changes like everything else in life. Still, few and far between a few come out that I am confident contribute something significant to the aesthetic spirit. An image prone to manifest its image into the minds of those who view it. As for those vessels that don't, I am grateful to the many collectors and customers that believe differently. I am driven by the collision that happens between my creations and the fires magic that comes from above, or below, I don't know!

The kiln chamber is to a painting as a vessel is to a canvas. And in that chamber, the vessel itself is chemically transformed into what it is. I am drawn towards what it is because I'm pretty sure I'll like it, but I don't really know. But whatever it is grants me something precious that makes me complete and whole.

I am drawn to my medium of clay as I am drawn to my wants and needs. Clay has always allowed me to focus on what is really important by its wisdom. It is there to tell me when I'm not centered. Clay is receptive to everything and its continuous teachings have favored me into how I have developed into a person, although my family will sometimes question that. It seems I have sacrificed myself too much as ceramics occupies a lot of my time. With time, my children have grown to respect that and understand my passion. My passion I couldn't have without my wonderful and loving wife Deidre who is always supportive of me despite the often rigorous demands.

John Manley

January 28, 2004