INSTRUCTORS’ INSIGHT – Adrian Sandstrom

I find great joy in knowing that my work is used. Whether that is with a mug that someone uses to start their day, a table full of plates that a meal is enjoyed with, or simply a piece on a shelf that is admired. While the goal is functionality I also strive to make that form as graceful and carefully decorated as possible. I enjoy taking a more graphic approach to decorating with the goal of guiding the viewer’s eye through the piece.

I approach each piece in a way that confronts control vs. chaos. A state that continues to interest me. Which is better? What do we yearn for more? Which state posses our best memories? I think as we come into our own we realize that both play an equally important role. Without control there is no chaos and vice versa. You really cannot have one without the other. I display this concept by a very controlled beginning a more chaotic center and a controlled ending. As I often look at each piece I question which one do I like better?

Current work is all wheel-thrown multi-fired porcelain. A typical pot is fired up to 4 times with a max temperature reaching cone 6 in an electric kiln. Used in my process are multiple layers of sprayed and brushed; slips, underglazes, glazes, and decals. Lastly pots are finished with a layer of brushed luster, fired to cone 019.

Adrian Sandstrom, Ceramics Instructor