The first time I met Harry he was throwing a series of cups on the wheel and I was mesmerized by the spinning clay. Like the mass of clay I was transformed from something amorphous to someone with direction and purpose. I would become a potter! This path to pottery his been my life since and I owe it all to Harry. I wrote this article for Studio Potter Magazine in the summer/fall of 2016 as my homage to Harry Holl. It captures the magic of Scargo Pottery and is a testament to the Generosity of Spirit that this pioneer of studio pottery possessed. Please feel free to download the PDF to gain insight into this historic life. Link to Harry Hill PDF
Sand Pattern World
I walk the sand flats early morning watching the sky begin its day turning the color of salmon and than opening up to a rousing chorus of luminous gold. Spread out before me is a sand pattern world. Walking on the edge of the continent I follow the furrowed patterns that stretch
for miles. I‘m blinded by the brilliant reflected light off the water. I smell the sea air, I hear the sound of breaking waves, I feel the patterned sand under my feet and absorb the warmth of the sun on my body.
I’ve always found solace in big landscapes. I am mostly here to be calm, to be uninterrupted in the flow of the tides and time. I am immediately restored by the baptism of the waters. On Cape Cod Bay, with a 9 foot tidal surge, the rise and fall of the tides sculpt the sand into furrows that fork, split, reconnect and vary in width and depth building endless variations on a theme. As an artist I ask myself “How can I use this?”
I plaster cast and bring these sand patterns back to my studio to freeze the ephemeral so I can try to understand their power. I‘ve incorporated these plaster castings of beach into asymmetrical bowls, vases, flat sided jars, winged figures, monoliths fountains and sculptures They represent an evanescent ripple of the present moment, preserved for all time. Manipulating these clay fossils I feel their presence. I find the form of the Monolith an especial revelation. It’s majesty exerts a kind of magnetic force drawing me back to the eternal rhythm of the protean ocean.
Let the SEA and SAND go about their changes, it teaches us about the impermanence of all
things.
I just fixed a common problem with my honey pot. You know how it will turn into a solidified gooey ball that is difficult to use? Well, get Kemp Pottery to make you a honey pot. When it starts to crystallize I put it in the microwave at 70% power for 3-6 minutes and voilà! Just stir it up and enjoy the best liquid yummy tea additive ever! Awesome job Matt!
