Artist: Katie Fee

Katie Fee, ILLINOIS
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I am inspired by the entwining relationships between land, people, and time.  Growing up on a farm, we watched fields rotate from mucky dirt patch, to plowed garden, then blankets of green, and back again, at the mercy of our own tools.  We also saw land change beyond our control; creek beds annually rise and recede by rainfall, and their casual path carves soil along the way,  dictating the wealth of each plotted field.  I’m fascinated by the cycles through which weather, tectonics, and life create, deform, and deconstruct the earth.

My clay work is based in my perception of the conversation between agriculture and environment.  My process revolves around exploration of distortion and change in clay.  Pots begin by cutting apart wheel-thrown cylinders and discs with mottled cords, then repairing using slip and wire.  The steps vary according to the composition and state of clay. When finished, my pots are functional and adventurous. 

My pots are not intended to imitate nature, but I do hope to achieve a similar sense of motion and physical exchange that vast surfaces of the earth represent.  My aim is to create an engaging form, encouraging the user to investigate and explore the piece.