‘Pillar of Salt’ serves as the second work in a current series marked by monumental scale. These sculptures (often colloquially referred to as ‘trees’) warp small, natural motifs into giant forms, bringing awareness to feelings of being small. The glazed surface of ‘Pillar of Salt’ recalls images of ariel landscaping, creating illusions of worlds inside of worlds. The fragility of my medium allows for tension only increased by the sharp spikes emerging from above. Visual assessment of this work might imply it is strong, solid and firm in place, and yet with the knowledge of its materiality viewers become aware that one wrong move might send everything crashing down, breaking irreparably. With this, I invite viewers to reflect on perception, normalcy, and choice.
This is the second 'tree' of my in-progress series, created between March and April of 2025. I've been enjoying making these monumental tree-esque forms, and was able to formulate my dream glaze specifically for this sculpture. Unfortunately, this dude lost its base piece due to some firing mishaps - I chose to use this piece to learn how to operate a gas kiln (as it is the largest kiln offered at my studio), and due to learning curves, the base no longer fit post-firing. Regardless, I'm super excited about the growth in form complexity and can't wait to build the next iteration this coming fall.
Pillar of Salt, 2025
Stoneware, underglaze, formulated glaze
109 x 28 x 25"