About Page
Artist Statement
Allison Moore- Clay Artist, Seattle, Washington
I spend my days with clay: hand-building, throwing pottery, making tile and sculpting. There are certain subjects I have focused on over the years and will continue to improve upon those designs, re-sculpting and recasting, putting them into different types of ceramic 'environments'. I have used my smaller designs to decorate countless thrown pieces of pottery over the years, and love to sculpt detailed images, make multiples, and put the designs to a variety of uses.
Back when I moved to Seattle in '95, I learned how to throw professionally, making thousands of forms in repetition in the three years I was working in a production shop. Then I became fully self-employed and have mostly sold my work directly to my customers at weekend markets, preferring to hone my skills with a lot of direct feedback from the people who own my work. I have a complete studio with slab roller, clay extruder, wheel, kilns and a a small ram-press. The work is fired in electric kilns at the medium vitreous stoneware temperature of 'cone 5'. White stoneware and porcelain are my favotite clays, but I do sometimes use red stoneware also. The glazes are all blended from raw materials using my private formulas. A favorite glaze is my transparent turquoise 'Copper Blue' and I'm closing in on a full color palette with both mattes and glosses.
The sculpting process seems integral to deepening my sensibilities in a life that is more about learning how to project a peaceful nature than anything else. My creations become like a Bodhisattvah reflection of myself, a captured moment of self-reflection and at their best, representative of spiritual evolvement. Ceramics can last for centuries without any degradation of quality. This necessitates deep consideration of my own immortality. What kind of legacy do I want to leave, in these stone-like objects that can be around for a long, long, time after I have gone? A completed work of art perhaps exists as an offering. All sentient creatures have the ability to manifest reverence, respect, and an enjoyment for all that exists, to feel completeness, all within one universal soul. Meditation now nurtures this creative process, the goal of which is to be completely aware of my surroundings, so that I may experience the true reality of the present moment. Sometimes it is harsh and dangerous, or beautiful and comfortable- but always infused with great potential. This energy fuels my inspiration. I now direct my abilities into creating work which pulls the art observer down a path dedicated to preservation of biodiversity, within a broader sensibility of reverence of species coexistence. The intention is to exist in total realization of non-separateness and compassion (for self as well as other sentient beings). I believe that staying on this path of peace is synonymous to spiritual development and creates a life-force which we can use to quell war and violence, however small a contribution that may be, so all may live in the 'basic goodness', the inherent state of pure mindfulness which is our birthright and true nature.
Scuba-diving and snorkeling helped me to understand how truly precious and fragile life can be on this Earth. Coral reefs are in peril, an extremely serious problem because they are the spawning grounds and nurseries for the vast majority of sea creatures. Humans tend to desire these areas to live near, because of the available sea food and extreme beauty, but end up causing destruction from the release of our trash and pollutants. It is my hope that in bringing these beautiful creatures to the people through clay art I will inspire more support for clean technology and conservation.
~Allison Moore, updated June2009
Exhibitions
email me
Seattle, Daystall Vendor
Pike Place Market
10/09 2009
The Pioneer Hall, Madison Park, 1642 43rd Ave. W. - Opening is Friday, Oct.9, from 5-8 pm. Show runs through Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm.
Artisan Tile Northwest- Handmade Tile Festival and Sale
May-Oct.
Redmond, WA by the Redmond Town Center
The Redmond Saturday Market
Gallery Representation
Tenzing Momo in Pike Place Market
Reviews and Press
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