Caro Worley

Artist Statement

I have always felt like a vessel – a being of the in between. Made of clay, filled with water, graced by fire. And yet, shaped for a human’s grasp, for our lips to touch.  I know I am made of earth, and pottery is my way of sharing the knowledge that you are made of earth too. I am a process oriented artist. I see no profound distinction between the act of creating and the final creation itself. My process begins in communion with nature. Observing, exploring, being, and discovering clay deposits. I harvest clay from hollowed stream beds. I bring the clay back to my studio to purify it, carefully sifting out rocks, bugs, and sticks. I honor the give and take, the push and pull, which keeps our universe in balance. I hold this special medium in my hands and relish in its familiarity. I know it, and it knows me. I sculpt from images embedded in my mind – tree limbs dancing above, roots twisting down, and my arms in a mirror. I coil build my sculptures, and I throw my vases and cups on the potter’s wheel. I enjoy the contrast between these two practices. One being completely free of formalities, and the other being bound to gravity and symmetry. The last part of my process is to wood fire the pieces in a small train kiln. I prefer this intense way of firing. It feels as if I am handing my art back to the elements, one last time. The fire’s mark has the final say on what the surface will look like. Instead of glazes, I let the clay body show its shades of orange, brown, purple, and blue. The green drip is made of melted ash deposits that occurred during the firing. The in between was created by the space humanity took for itself. I hope for my process and my art to show you the intimate and intertangled connection we share with earth.

Bio

Brought up in Falls Church, Virginia, and the Adirondack Mountains in New York, Caro Worley began her creative journey through dance. In college she came to sculpture, and found her intuitive medium – clay. She is a Bachelor of Fine Arts Candidate with a focus in ceramics. Her most recent exhibition highlights her self developed process of collecting and processing “wild” clay from the ground. She sculpts the clay with her hands as her mind wanders through its own photo gallery – these are embedded images which reflect time spent in nature. Caro fires the pieces in a small wood stoked train kiln. She works with the flames path, allowing the fire’s mark to have the final touch on her art. Through her process and creations, she hopes to show that we are all connected, that everything you touch is made of earth – including yourself.

https://www.caroworley.com/

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