Asheville In Atlanta 2004

MudFire Gallery teams up again with curator Kyle Carpenter in September for "Asheville in Atlanta 2004I." This year's show offers an all-new roster of artists from Asheville, North Carolina, a small city known internationally as a pottery power-house. The exhibit and sale will open with an artist reception on Friday September 17 from 6-10pm, and will continue through October 16, 2004.

Liz Sparks - Artist Statement

The routine of pottery making is grounding to me. It gives me the opportunity to be present and aware through all the steps of the making process. Beauty and usefulness are equally important to me and my goal is to create pottery that embodies both of these characteristics. I am just as inspired by a bowl with a beautifully curved inside as I am by a form or idea that is new to me. I enjoy decorating, and I like the simplicity of using just a few ash glazes on both stoneware and porcelain.

A huge compliment to me as a potter is seeing my work in use, or as part of someone's daily ritual. Still, my reason for making pottery is also self-indulgent. I make pots because I love to do it. I mix my own clay and use local red clay because I am fulfilled by my connection to the place, the material, and the life force within it. Sometimes after I've laid the clay out to dry in wooden racks, I will discover a sprout or two growing in it. This excites me because it is a reminder that the clay is alive! It is validation to me that pots matter, that pottery is worth making, and that life is good and worth living.