Thought

Artist Sarah Hummel Jones Explores the Space Between Comfort and Change

“I've tried to incorporate colors that other people might like.Green, red, or brown tones and whites… for those who like neutrals,” she said.

At past art shows, Hummel Jones has inspired a sense of wonder in those who may not have considered the unrefi ned, yet intricate composition of a pretzel. Her 2019 installation “I can't remember” is composed of over 20 pretzels—all vaguely similar in appearance, yet challenging observers to look closer and get lost in the subtle variations between each snack.

“At that time, I was really interested in creating multiples that were on a smaller scale that could then create a piece that was much larger,” Hummel Jones noted. “I also love making the same thing over and over again because producing ceramics is fun and enticing to me.”

The pretzels are mostly glazed in salmon pinks and mustard yellows, while the baguettes and dinner rolls sold to the public are precisely shade-matched to a realistic ‘bread loaf' beige.’

Hummel Jones’ Instagram followers can’t seem to get enough of the cupcakes, pancakes, and especially the fried eggs.

“I've been picking fried eggs for a while, but then recently went vegan. So now I write the hashtag vegan on the back,” she said.

Many Americans can relate to the impulse of looking to food for comfort. Hummel Jones likes to form sculptures out of the mundane, but she also relates these items to the experience of being human and the struggles inherent to everyday life—and how practicing mindfulness, embracing new perspectives, and engaging one’s creative side can break the spell of routine.

“If I couldn’t draw, I don’t know what I would be able to do; I’d probably just be staring at a blank wall,” Hummel Jones confessed.

The inward experience of mental health struggles is turned outward by Hummel Jones, into something to be held and considered. What might be interpreted as American ‘junk food' is something more than meets the eye: comfort, yes, but also, personal transformation.

“When you speak of it in terms like that, it really hits some other strings,” Hummel Jones said. “There is a mundaneness to the experience of living, while at the same time, there is limitless possibility.”

At time of writing, Hummel Jones is working on a line of functional ceramic pottery, including planters, vases, bud vases, cups, mugs, and plates.

To browse, commission, and support her work, visit clayclubceramics.com or her Instagram page @clayclubceramics.