Sam is an Olathe East graduate who studied ceramics under Sherri Hanna and recently graduated from the University of Kansas. Sam has explored all types of manipulation with clay, from throwing to hand building to creating performance kilns using clay mixed with the earth.
Sam majored in ceramics at KU. As part of a grant he was awarded during his senior year, he constructed and fired a 7 foot x 7 foot dome constructed of locally dug clay combined with equal parts sand, sawdust and straw. Over the course of about 10 days, Sam constructed the domed kiln from the wet coils, preheated it very slowly to drive off the moisture, and then fired it up to about 2000° Fahrenheit as part of the “Fire Spectacular,” a community wood firing with a variety of guest artists and lectures, a massive anagama kiln firing, and Sam’s performance kiln. To read more about the entire project, check out the article Fire Spectacular.
On Sam’s Second Saturday, he will use a mold he created from a large found object as a press mold. By adding clay and taking it away, he can manipulate the form and create something demonic out of something that was once angelic as he explores the dichotomy of good and evil, right and wrong, and organic and inorganic. Join us for the metamorphosis.
ARTIST STATEMENT:
Working in clay is my spiritual home, for I find purpose and solitude each time physical contact is made with the material. I experience a type of esoteric energy that connects me to my human ancestors, linking the past with the present. This energy allows for a transcendence into the future for I truly believe progression is dependent on learned knowledge from the past. In my current work I reference time-honored cultures through my processes, techniques, and forms. Often allegorical, my work draws from personal experiences and desires in attempts to fulfill one of humankind’s more primal desires; self-significance.
