Fertility Figures, Goddesses, and Mother Vessels in Clay
Instructor: Michael Imes
Date: August 21 - 26, 2022
4:00pm Sunday, August 21 through 1:00pm Friday, August 26
Workshop Fee: $710 - Includes lodging at the AVRC or the Prairie Center, all meals, #75 DSM stoneware clay (cone 6 - 10) and bisque firing of dried pieces for transport home.  Scholarships are available.  Please message us to learn more!
 
An exploration into images of the eternal mother, from paleolithic fertility fetishes to the goddesses and mythology of ancient cultures throughout the world. We will use clay modeling, pinch and coil, and soft slab approaches to making figures and vessels.  Class is open to experienced hand builders as well as beginners with an interest in the subject.
 
Artist Statement: "Human beings have used vessels for thousands of years, for so long that they have taken on symbolic/archetypal meaning. My stoneware vessels are explorations of these archetypes. As such, they speak of growth and expansion, the capacities of holding and of gestation, and the functions of gathering and offering. The pinch and coil method of construction allows me to interact with the clay, to respond creatively, in a process of exploration facilitating the discovery of new vessel expressions. I choose to work in stoneware because I like the idea that it gives my pieces more of a geological lifespan; they become (through the making and firing) a different, more permanent thing with a new place in time. They have the possibility of a life that will extend far into the future."
 
Artist Website: https://www.imesclay.com/