Little Graces by Jennifer Datchuk
Reception: May 8 , 6pm-9pm | May 8 - June 5
Artist Statement
Conflict, as experienced from the perspectives of identity, gender and race in my family allows me to reveal my sensitivities to the tenuous dynamics of family relationships. These autobiographical experiences are a direct link to my understanding of conflict and provide empathy for the subtleties and complexities of domestic relationships. I capture this conflict by exploring the emotive power of domestic objects that fix, organize and soothe our lives. I see items found in the home as intimate witnesses to our lives and by transforming them in clay, I am interested in revealing the beauty and dysfunction of domestic settings. Whether it is through surface decoration or sculptural objects, I am baring my sense of conflict in familial relationships and how I long for those same relationships to be something they may never be.
First
impressions are everything and within this idea my work looks pretty
and perfect. The surface of my porcelain pieces, represent memories
of a shared history through the layering of hand drawn, found and personal
imagery. The surface appears to be lush and decorative but upon closer
inspection it reveals itself to be heavily layered and bruised, capturing
the outside reaction to inside anguish. In the process of layering
and multiple firings, the life of the work changes, creating a rich
history, exposing qualities that are hidden and revealed through the
layers. Much like family, my objects describe their physical and functional
inadequacies and seek empathy for their relationships.