Carin Sankus earned an MFA from the University of Florida and a BFA in Ceramics from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University in 2007. She has been an Artist-in-Residence at The Clay Studio of Missoula and Peter’s Valley School of Craft in Layton, NJ. Carin taught high school ceramics before becoming a post-baccalaureate student at Tyler School of Art, Temple University, in Philadelphia. Carin exhibits her work nationwide in invitational and juried exhibitions.
Artist Statement
I make non-objective ceramic paintings that combine formalist elements with imperfect compositions. The awkward arrangement of parts references provisional painting by creating a feeling of incompleteness within each composition. Each piece rejects the idea of beauty and instead values a sense of “freshness”. I draw upon the initial questioning of tangibility to lead to a deeper dialog regarding historical and contemporary roles of pottery, painting and the field of ceramics.
Within each ceramic painting, I consider the individual parts, where every element represents an action; a push or a roll, a squeeze or press. These actions all have intention, some express a strength or directness, some feel accidental. The forms and shapes I create are representative of the many ways clay can be manipulated. Bare fired terra cotta and shiny glazed surfaces reference the history of functional ceramics.
The awkward compositions act as a catalyst to engage the imagination in a “what if” rearranging of parts. The non-objective nature of each piece evokes a sense of playful curiosity through color, form, texture and rhythm.
Each piece combines ceramic materials to create a layering of movement, space and color that introduces both physical and visual depth to the work. These layers could be read as two-dimensional paintings, but challenge this by interacting with the wall behind them via negative space, shadow and colored reflections.
Visit Carin's website at www.carinsankus.com
