James Smead Pottery

Small Batch Pottery made in Minneapolis, MN

Work

I make pottery to invoke a feeling when used. An escape from reality. Discovering clay after losing my mother I’ve always found it as a means of coping.
Clay, as a material is inherently honest in how it can carry an emotion. This material allows me to capture a frame in time and allow the user to experience that same moment. Reducing the surface eliminates distractions and lets the form speak up as an attempt to celebrate the material and the marks left behind while making.
I want these vessels to appear quiet when seen, but reveal themselves with close inspection and continual use. The way an object can translate emotions when held is an understanding I strive for. I want my pots to remind the user of the humanity within the objects we use, along with the mortality of everything around us.