Working with clay is many things. At its most basic, yet profound, it is a vehicle for nourishment. It holds food and drink. When I watch someone I love choose one of my pieces from the cupboard and eat or drink from it, I feel deeply gratified. It is a humbling thing.
And in a way there is nothing more.
But I am also spurred on by an urge to express something through clay. And that is where the larger pieces come into play. There is always a lot to think about and a lot to say. Things like the perceived value of things and working with a material that is literally 'dirt'. And so, by definition, valueless. Yet dirt holds everything that this planet has ever been. Everything and everyone before. It is a sort of time travel. And so for me, it is a material of privilege. Dirt and thought.