Valerie Banes Hancock
Artist Website Link

Lidded Jar

cone 10 soda fired porcelain

6" x 5" x 5"
2016

$80

Cooking is and has been an integral part of my life and it seems natural that I am drawn to items that are centered on cooking and serving food. By creating functional altered servingware, I hope to inspire people to slow down, examine and enjoy, while restoring, creating or simply embracing the bonds between family and friends. The way that the altered forms displace liquid and food out of the round and into unique and individual shapes interests me in the same way that an instillation artist might be interested in forcing the viewer to move about a space in a particular fashion, causing them to be consciously aware of the situation and space. To emphasize the altered forms, I enjoy utilizing the soda from the firing, as well as glazes that offer a contrast in satin and glossy surfaces making the piece not only visually interesting but also tactilely enjoyable.