Ryan Osborne

Spike

Coil-built Stoneware; Avery, Newman, and Helmer Flashing Slip, Wood Ash, Wood Fired in an Anagama

24 x 27 x 14"

$3500

"Spike" is a part of my recent dog series, which was inspired by working through the grief of the passing of my late dog, Ella. The first sculpture I made was more or less a likeness of her, but the forms started to evolve as the pain lessened. 

Artist Statement:

The majority of my sculptures are made through working intuitively with my material to convey a heightened sense of balance and tension within each piece. I usually have a general idea of what I am looking for in each sculpture, but I tend to work quickly, and make deliberate decisions based on the movement and physical response from the clay.  After abstracting the zoomorphic or human elements, my works begin to suggest landscapes, animals, or parts of a body. I love being able to test the clay's structural limitations as a medium, therefore, I want you to experience the physical relationship I have with my material. I am fascinated by the range of possibilities that result from atmospheric firings, which are derived from wood, salt, and soda kilns, as well as the immediacy and range of colors achieved from raku kilns and post-fire reduction. The relatively unpredictable nature of wood firing, combined with the flow of air, fire, and ash is a great complement to my work. The variety of colors and surface textures achieved in the process accentuate the sculptural and tactile qualities of my forms.