Red Lodge Clay Center – Ted Neal Kiln Building (AIA) 2023
Sometimes it can take years, or even decades, to align oneself with their desired path. How effortlessly we come up with excuses, convincing ourselves that we are busier than we truly are or that it is foolish to harbor hopes of professional success in something we genuinely enjoy. I am no exception to this, and my journey to the arts has not been a direct one. I went to Sacramento State University for my undergrad and studied business because it was a safe option. Upon graduating, I secured a corporate job for the same reason. Everyday for years I went to work and daydreamed about what I really wanted to be doing. I day dreamed about doing art and so slowly; I built up my skills in clay enough to put a portfolio together and started looking for opportunities for change. When I was admitted to Montana State University for an MFA (where I am now), I could no longer make excuses. I made the decision to uproot my former life and prioritize my own growth. There was a sense of readiness, developed over time through the lessons I learned from the very material I work with. Fortunately for me, clay serves as a medium of transformation, transitioning from clumps in the ground to fired lumps on our shelves. My work involves changing the material through a process that guides each piece to its subsequent stage in life.
I am Jacob Krieger, and I am an artist craftsman
Once a connection with an item is made, using it deeply enriches everyday life. A mug, a kettle, a vase on the shelf; they all work together to create a home. They give us comfort when we first wake up and are a witness to our lives. My goal is to elevate these everyday items we all use; to encourage the individual to slow down, practice awareness, and ultimately gain appreciation for the ordinary in our lives. Working toward these goals I aim to create forms that choreograph its user into holding the object close to their body, protecting it, forming connections. I imagine a person feeling a sense of ritual and intimacy with its use. For surface decoration I am exploring ways to connect through imagery and place. Inspired by old friends and the conversations that have stayed with me, I realize that the emotions these memories give are at the core of who I am. Represented with flashing slips I aim to capture the sense of twilight and a connection to faded memories of friendship. Exploring what it means to be able to hold such reminders in our hands.