Kari Woolsey
As painters, we have always been a little jealous of the 3D artists who creature art that you can touch and use in everyday life. Kari Woolsey is one of those artists.
Originally from South Florida, Kari Woolsey received a BFA in ceramics from Florida Atlantic University and completed a Post Baccalaureate program in ceramics at the University of Florida. She received an MFA in ceramics at Southern Illinois University Carbondale in 2018. She was Clay Arts Vegas’ summer resident artist in 2017 and an Artist-in-Residence at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in 2018 - 2019. Kari’s work focuses on the everydayness of objects and vessels around us through making functional pottery and larger installations. Her interests are divided between researching to maintain an active studio practice, time spent making in various materials, such as clay, paper, wire, and fabric, as well as, teaching community based ceramics classes. Currently, Kari is living and working in Maine at Watershed Center for Ceramic Arts as their 2020 Salad Days Artist-in-Residence.
Kari was able to explain her work further:
Through functional pottery and installations, I focus my work around the everydayness of objects found in the home. Our things can reflect personal experiences and moments of our lives. These can be quiet moments of introspection with a morning cup of coffee, or moments displaying the liveliness of a family dinner with the remnants left behind. In using a still life format, I explore domestic vessels and object forms, such as dishware, laundry baskets, and containers. I handbuild by pinching forms out of terracotta, utilizing the historically commonplace status of red clay to discuss the everydayness of our objects. Installations touch on the mundane tasks and daily rituals of life through our material things, asking the viewer to think deeper about how we are connected to the objects that exist around us. Ultimately, these domestic scenes reference what is actually found in our homes on a daily basis: a compilation of time, material things, and memories.
Originally published 7/8/2019
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