Ellis Walker Gallery

Alex Olson

Artist Statement

My artwork is driven by my curiosity about the rhythms of the natural world and the intersections of landscape and the home. Motion in the landscape—weather, light, shadow, fauna—feeds my desire to create and inspires the organic shapes in my art. I am drawn to clay’s malleability and craft functional forms that people can integrate into their daily routines and rituals. Each pot is first thrown on the wheel, faceted, and textured using found objects such as shells and stones.

In my work, I explore concepts of mark-making and imprinting through both process and form: found objects from the landscape make physical marks in the clay, leaving imprints of place on my pottery. Atmospheric firing methods such as woodfiring add complexity to the faceted surfaces, creating gradients of color and texture that mimic patterns in nature; I also use this effect to reference the cycles and transitions of the natural world. More broadly, while crafting my work I consider how experiences in nature stay with us in transformative ways—and how we hold on to those experiences by bringing elements of the natural world into our homes.

The wooden vessels I craft are designed to highlight the unique features of a given piece of wood: knots, figure, and natural edge characteristics. I use photography, filmmaking, and illustration to document experiences, tell stories, and illuminate the beauty of natural landscapes.

Artist Bio

I was born in Seattle, WA and raised by a family of artists—my mother a painter and my father a photographer. Growing up, I spent summers on Stuart Island, WA. Exploring this remote wilderness was formative; it made me attentive to and appreciative of the rhythms of the natural landscape. Woodturning and photography were my primary mediums prior to studying ceramics at Carleton College, where I earned a B.A in Studio Art in 2018. Through an artistic career, I strive to cultivate an ever-curious studio practice, share my passion for craftsmanship, and inspire creativity in others.

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