Ken Turner 12643 12^th Avenue S. Seattle, WA 98168

As far back as I can remember I have had a fascination with clay. As a child I loved its earthy smell, its cool wetness as I squeezed it through my fingers. I was amazed by its remarkable ability to take any shape I could give it as I spent countless hours carving faces and imaginative forms from the clay-laden cliffs of the ravines above Lake Sammamish. Later, in a high school art class, I sat motionless watching a skilled potter throw pots on a wheel and then followed its evolution through the firing process. These two organic substances, clay and fire: one cool and malleable, the other with its amazing ability to transform and renew have ignited my lifelong passion for ceramics.

Thirty-five years of exploring ceramic materials and methods, from clay out of the ground to fine porcelain, simple pit firing to computer controlled highfire; my artistic expression has evolved with each new discovery. While my artwork is predominantly influenced by my own life experience, it is also a tangible expression of a shared human condition. My art is highly evocative of my relationships and responsibilities. Recurring themes of significance in my work are enlarged sperm images in repetitive pattern. This image and the large swollen womb-like vessels emerged when my wife and I were having trouble conceiving. Running Man is another recurring motif representing man, confined within a circle of his own making. For me, art does reflect life.

I use symbols to communicate ideas and emotions. I also employ the use of precious metals in my decorative glazing to emphasize and heighten emotional response. I am enchanted by gold and its reflective qualities. Historically, gold has a well-documented role in society as a means of quantifying wealth. Clay, in its abundance, has little value, making pottery the lowliest of craft for many. Porcelain, the premier form of clay, fragile when dry, will crumble in your hands. Add water and it becomes pliable. Add heat and it can withstand thousands of years of earth’s ravages, surviving to inform future generations of the mysteries of the past. Curiously adding gold to porcelain elevates my craft to a refined art form. My use of gold and other precious metals over the past 20 years has become an element of unique professional identity.

My wheel-thrown work has developed from strictly functional ware to purely artistic decorative pleasure. While my forms are functional in nature, the use of precious metals has changed their context. My hand-built sculptures create the freedom to work outside the traditional constraints of functional wheel-thrown forms that I have spent my life mastering. Alternative firing techniques, which I developed for my sculptures, allow the clay to respond directly to atmospheric forces, creating a dramatic and unpredictable surface. My more recent ‘impressed’ design work was inspired while researching Chinese ceramic design in preparation for a cultural exchange tour I led in 2006. My art is both my guide and journey through life.

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