Meet the Artist: Adam Field Pottery

MEET THE ARTIST

Oh how I love finding a new artist I didn’t know about! Enter potter Adam Field. He’s not new to the game, just new to us! We are currently commissioning three custom pots to accessorize a client’s custom designed fireplace mantle (Read all about it here) and can’t wait for the pieces to be done. In the meantime, let’s get to know this artist, shall we?
Adam is a full time studio potter working in Helena, Montana. His work, however, takes influence from all over the world. His beautiful porcelain pieces feature elegant hand carved details. He says these motifs are inspired by his time living in Hawaii. Whatever their inspiration, they are quite lovely, no?

Artist Statement:
“I am fascinated with antique artifacts, the way they can speak of mastery of lost peoples, places, and cultures. This inspires me to create works that both radiate history and capture my own place and time. I work toward a clean aesthetic that celebrates the masterful simplicity of antique Far Eastern pottery, while retaining the modest utility of colonial American wares. The surface of my pottery is meticulously carved with intricate designs that borrow from nature and incorporate the human touch. Much of the carving on my work is informed by the pattern languages found in indigenous fiber art, such as Hawaiian tapa, Incan cordage and Zulu basketry.”

Adam also makes Korean fermentation vessels, which he learned how to make during an apprenticeship in South Korea, studying traditional Korean pottery making techniques. These pieces have become popular in the US in the restaurant industry as a useful tool for fermentation as well as decoration. If you’re a fan of cooking shows, you’re probably familiar with the importance of fermentation vessels in Asian cuisine and have probably seen Adams work.

If you love to watch the oddly satisfying creation of pottery, definitely check out Adam’s facebook page, chock full of videos showing the creation of large pottery, wheel throwing, hand carving and more. Keyword: Oddly satisfying. If you’ve ever tried creating ceramics (i.e.- me in high school, college, and once more as an adult just to be incredibly sure I had absolutely no talent in this area) you know it is not for the faint of heart. It requires a great deal of patience and technical skill (I have neither of those things…. Perplexing why I can’t throw pots???)
Think you might have a hidden talent for throwing pots? If you live in the Minneapolis area, I once took a class at the Northern Clay Center in Minneapolis (NCC). It’s a great organization and their classes are great.
Check out Adam’s web page to learn more and see more of his beautiful pottery.