Passage through the lens of history
The Passage of American Pottery as an echo of the passage of American History.
Some years ago, I was gifted a book, Carolina Clay by Leonard Todd, after doing a workshop in South Carolina. The book was historic, piecing together what is known about an accomplished slave potter known as Dave. He is remembered due to his literacy, skill and the short couplets and statements he inscribed on his large functional pots. There is a connection in the passage across centuries, social status and race that I felt reading about Dave. This is my homage to a relatively unknown skilled functional potter who used the power of language to enhance his work in a time when that was dangerous.