John R Hamilton III

As a child, quotes like, “Space, the final frontier…” from Star Trek and “In a galaxy, far far away…” from Star Wars, have always pumped excitement into my body forcing my mind to wander. Growing up and even presently, from time to time, I’ve investigated the deep black of the night sky imagining I’d be on the bridge of the Enterprise, the cockpit of an Art Deco style rocket ship or approaching the Death Star in an X-Wing fighter jet full of excitement.

As I grew older and began to make the world of ceramics a part of my permanent life, I was able to combine two different worlds I love by grabbing inspiration from pop culture and life experiences. Working in clay allows me to sketch and draw in the third dimension, transferring ideas in my mind to come to fruition. As I begin to shape the clay my mind wanders just as much at my potter’s wheel, as it did while my imagination ran away in adolescence. Influences from different periods in art, have also driven me to create the work that I do. From artists like Roy Lichtenstein to Piet Mondrian, I find myself using simplistic colors for decoration and dark lines outlining the curves of the clay.

Each piece I create on the wheel, although similar, allows no two pieces to be exactly alike. A distinctive character is born as I slide the cut off wire under every piece. I want my pieces to be both functional and sculptural, to have a place in a cupboard and to be displayed as the focal point of a room. I ensure that each pot is highly functional, thinking about the piece and its jobs, beyond holding liquid in a cup, or food on a plate, I strive to achieve a sculptural status as well. The relationship I hold with ceramics has allowed me to explore and learn, but most importantly, continue to play.