Red Spiral Vase

Jim Connell

stoneware

11 3/4" Diameter x 12 1/4" H

Unwaveringly daring and effortlessly elegant, this pot by Jim Connell speaks for itself. Informed by dynastic Chinese ceramic practices, Connell interprets Tang Dynasty and Yixing pottery styles into his work, creating pieces that lie in the intersection of beauty, function, elegance, and risk. The swirling motions across the pot's body evoke a sense of organic movement-like that of water-but the color of rust and red allows the vase to diverge from the naturalistic to the realm of the abstract-an evocation of the surreal and impossible. There is an ethereal quality to this vase, and surely this piece is meant for the home of the thinker or the academic-a vessel of contemplation, mystery, and timelessness.

Artist Statement

"I strive for beauty and elegance in my pieces. On my very best days in the studio I get glimpses of it and it keeps me going. It is all about that eternal elusive quest for beauty.

My work is inspired by nature and guided by historical precedent. I was taught, and, now I teach my students, to look to the past for ideas and inspiration. I have always looked to China for my main source of inspiration. My love of Chinese ceramics was originally centered on the work of the Sung Dynasty. I deeply admired the great porcelain pieces of this period and they profoundly affected my understanding of form and proportion.

Artist Biography

Jim has been an active studio artist for over twenty years. After finishing his BFA in ceramics from the Kansas City Art Institute in 1982, he continued on and received his Masters in 1984 from the University of Illinois. He says, "I strive for beauty and elegance in my pieces. On my very best days in the studio I get glimpses of it and it keeps me going. It is all about that eternal elusive quest for beauty."

From the collection of Arlene and Bernard Solomon

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