Artist Statement

I make clay sculptures that resemble familiar pottery forms such as a bowl, cylinder, or plate. Starting with these mundane forms, I find a familiar sense of control that allows me to explore the ways in which I manipulate my language of clay. My commitment to pottery and its characteristics guide visual and structural components in my work, leading them to become an intersection between pottery and sculpture. I find an exciting break of control when I can alternate a form made with such precision like the wheel. I balance this exercise of control by firing in an atmospheric setting, allowing the fluidity of the flame to correlate within each piece. 

My intention is to create a structure (or structures) that explores the surroundings of my personal interactions with nature, specifically landscapes and ecologies from my time spent in the southwest and gatherings of modern plant life material. I am fueled by my memories of these landscapes and the natural world I was brought into at a young age, the impact this had on me is represented through the lens of clay and curiosity. Using various mountain ranges, rock formations, flora, and fauna as a personal palette of my past, I am layering these memories over clay to achieve form, imagery, and textures. Wood and soda ash accumulate and alter glazes and the clay to not only visually resemble the circumstances of their atmospheric firing but also the elements of the natural world that inspired the form. The presentation of these pieces is used to capture the curiosity of their assemblage. 

Recently I have begun to play around with the use of a wood fired rocket kiln from the designs of Lisa Orr and Andrew Linderman. I have built two wood fired rocket kilns and two gas fired rocket kilns in Port Angeles, WA out of upcycled electric kilns and bricks from a wood drying factory. These kilns help mimic a wood fired result I am looking for in my work while keeping a small carbon footprint on the path of ceramic making. I can fire my wood kiln in 2.5 hours while using only 3-4 wood pallets. The gas kiln helps me fire a small amount of work fast so I can easily experiment with the use of soda over a 6 hour firing period.

Bio:

Thomas Connery is a ceramic artist who takes inspiration from landscapes and ecologies from his upbringing in the southwest region of Arizona. He creates ceramic sculptures and pottery that compose their own sense of familiarity and foreignness. He received his BFA in ceramics at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff AZ in 2018 where he explored the high desert atmosphere and multiple woodfired opportunities the program offers. After graduating he has taken a liking to teaching and educating the public in ceramics. He has pursued opportunities in teaching ceramic classes at fine art centers, community college, and residencies. He received his MFA in ceramics at Indiana University Bloomington in 2023 where he was a general assistant to the ceramics area and taught drawing and ceramics classes for 4 semesters. He has since accepted an artist in residency in the pacific northwest at Peninsula College where he was offered to teach college classes in drawing, ceramics, and the role of ceramic coordinator/technician. He is currently teaching all college level ceramic classes at Peninsula College while the main faculty member has left on sabbatical.