PAUL ROGERS
The Reluctant Monk
Orange Ghost Vessel
Ghost
Minotaur
Critter
Orange Bowl
Wall Art
White Raku Bowl
Raku Ghost Vessel
Raku Ghost Vessel 2
Dispenser
Artist Statement:
Currently I work with hand dug native clays from small deposits which are not commercially viable. I use primitive firing techniques, such as pit firing to achieve that certain ambiance. I draw the motifs from primitive animalistic mythology, the dream flights of the KUNG bushmen of the Kalahari Desert, the collective unconscious as a separate reality, and "Dreamtime." These current pieces are composite of the feeling of animal life and spirit, no specific animal but representative of all our fellow beasts; the now long gone great herds of the eastern plains, those extinct, and those of the evolutionary future. Life force, death, birth, humor, playfulness, and intelligence, but especially our spiritual kinship and interdependence are all a wellspring for ideas.
Education & Professional Experience:
I received a BFA from the University of Oklahoma in 1973, with minors in Design, Sculpture, and Art Education. I also studied Design and Sculpture at San Francisco Art Institute, and City College of San Francisco, and did post graduate studies in Ceramic Design at Redlands College in 1988. I have been self-employed as a clay artist and potter since 1975, and also teach cultural enrichment programs in clay at schools in Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs.