Peter JadoonathShafer, Minnesota

Statement

Drawing and animation is the foundation of my art making life. I am quite shy at my core and drawing is a method for me to interpret the world and my life experiences. I enjoy the challenge of making pottery shapes that act as a vehicle for me to express these ideas. I aim to animate these shapes with embedded stories, and pattern. What keeps me going is not a single act of inspiration, but more so just the act of going out to the studio and working. I am inspired by things that are often quiet and consistent within daily life - things such as manhole covers, music, tools, textiles, traversing, leverage, labor, language, learning, hair styles, humor, and horizon lines. It’s an eclectic interpretation of life, which I imagine is fairly simple and similar for all of us.

My pots are made on a treadle wheel; they are cut and carved once the pot is cheese hard. All of the pots are fired in a gas kiln.

I started making pots at Bemidji State University in 1996. It started off as an elective and quickly turned into an obsession. My professor was Butch Holden. His infectious positive attitude really allowed everyone to flourish.