Form and function have always been of interest to me. Making pottery is and was about needing an object to eat from — a n object that was plain, simple and most importantly functional. I made pottery for over 20 years with very little time away from the practice. Then, I started to rehab buildings and create living space. I had no other means, aside from my experience of making pots, to understand space and practical aesthetics. Once a foundation is laid, be it made of stone (for a house) or a lump of clay on the wheel, the rest can be built upon — aesthetics can be manipulated and function can be guided. Over the past few years I made a conscious decision to stop making ceramic work. The decision came about due to financial struggles. My studio practice became a burden of production, impractical forms, and overhead costs. I barely made enough money to keep a studio afloat. I think it took moving to one of the worst neighborhoods in one of the roughest cities in America to gain perspective on my work and community. A community is all kinds of people — from a neighbor who knows nothing about what you do, to your closest friend. The more I realized this the more I realized how community functions in my life. As a studio potter, I had isolated myself. I lost community and truthful discussion about my work. If pottery is made in a manner that is isolated, it lacks outside vision and seems neither to function on a fundamental level at the table nor generate social discussion. The rehab work was less isolating, and a financially sustainable way for me to connect with people and be involved in a creative process. Although I have not made ceramic work in several years (my studio has essentially turned into a bike shop and my kiln room has become tool storage) my passion for ceramic objects and the process of creating has not waned. •
Jar 11 × 12 × 12 in 27.9 × 30.5 × 30.5 cm porcelain
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Robert Sutherland