Artist Statement
C.T. Wagoner

It is my premise that there is a polarized duality represented by the dichotomy between usefulness and symbolism with respect to the question of pottery as a fine art, or in this case, more specifically, sculptures. I attempt to bridge this gap in my work by bringing the two together in one sculpture.

Just as a shard can be a synecdoche for a vase, pottery can become a metonym for earth and a metaphor for containing. In turn, containment can be tied to sculpture in its intrinsic delineation of space. This symbolism is an important component in all of my work in clay.

I start by "Taking the pots apart" and using them to synthesize a new greater whole. This clouds the difference between inside and outside. Now a new perspective is created. I am showing the viewer what they could not see before, the inside.

It is this polarized duality in the perception of pottery that has caused discussions and arguments unto this day. The very nature of pottery's relationship to our existence and its utility is what makes it a unique symbol of our humanity. Pottery forms are more than useful objects. They are symbolic forms. I believe pottery has become over time a unique type of sculpture with an underpinning of utility.

Utility narrows the semiotic range for pottery, but it also gives it a unique meaning that is shared and knowable. It is this duality, represented by the dichotomy of usefulness and symbolism that makes pottery a multi-leveled source of signs and symbols as well as a metaphor for man's imprint on the earth. Pottery signifies the shared meaning of duality, as a three-dimensional object in space.