Through a process of dismantling and reassembling my pots for the lines it creates, a narrative of the studio process is disguised within a design motif. In each physical state of the material, marks associated with each step tease the viewer to ponder the order of steps taken to make the object. As they continue to view, or begin to use these objects, more information becomes apparent. They may notice, for instance, that the floor of every pot is in fact a separately thrown piece, hung inside a groove carved into the foot. In certain cases, this inserted element will perform dual functions or take on a new form required by its interactivity with other pieces.

My creative process is one of continual refinement. As new functions are added to the greater body of work, or existing functions are combined, new ways of interpreting the form are required. As discoveries are made, newly found ideas ripple through the rest of the body. In a dialog of systematic choices pitted against momentary decisions, I am able to control the direction of my work while still making major discoveries through the act of making. I see the viewer not so much as receptor of a message than as a welcome eavesdropper on a conversation that I have with myself.

I choose the format of functional pottery and tableware for its intimate context and inherent interactivity with people. While making use of the comfort and familiarity people have with useful objects, an element of danger or fragility seems to contradict the utility. The fault lines that decorate the surface threaten to, but do not actually undermine the vessel’s ability to contain, display, or deliver.

–Jeff Campana