| Tara Wilson | ||
| Birth Date: 1977 |
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Artist Gallery |
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| Tara Wilson lives in Montana where she has a studio in the mountains. She has a strong connection with nature, echoed in this quote: “Spending time outdoors is a necessity for me, whether it’s an afternoon walk with my dog or a week backpacking in the wilderness. These situations provide me calmness, a physical as well as mental space that allows me to relax, contemplate the events of my life, and escape the stressful demands of today’s society. The peaceful serenity and tranquil emotions that I experience in such situations are qualities embodied in my wood fired ceramic vessels.”
She said: "I've been making pottery since high school (Wilson attended Clyde High School in Ohio) in the early 90's. After studying ceramics in college at The University of Tennessee for undergrad and The University of Florida for graduate school, I moved to Montana for a residency at The Archie Bray Foundation. I fell in love with Montana and decided to set up my studio here after finishing at the Bray in 2007. My studio is located in Montana City just a few miles south of Helena. All of my work is wood-fired in either the train kiln, built in 2009, or the catenary arch wood soda kiln, built in the winter of 2013."
Although Wilson glazes the insides of her pots, it is the wood-firing process itself that glazes their outer surfaces. Her choice of wood, as well as the pattern of the ash fall, the air flow, and pot placement are just a few of the variables that will color the final products.
"(My) pots initially speak softly yet reveal complexity in both form and surface through continued investigation and use. Embodied in my wood fired vessels is the serenity that I experience by surrounding myself on a daily basis with a rich natural environment. (My) pots (also) have an inherent relationship with the figure, sharing many parts: foot, belly, shoulder, neck, and lip. This relationship is both anthropomorphic as well as zoomorphic.
The simple things in life are often the most important - the great outdoors, the company of my dog, and the beauty of making pots on a daily basis. Whether my pots are used by families, friends, or just an individual spending time alone, my work allows people to recognize the important things in their own lives.”
Wilson also completed a residency at the Red Lodge Clay Center and has had or been in close to 200 exhibitions from the year 2000 to 2016. Her work can be found in the collections of Archie Bray and Ceramics Monthly, to name a few.
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