Red Lodge Clay Center, Short-Term Resident 2021
I’m Sam McCall, a potter/ceramicist living and working out of Ivins, Utah. I was born and raised in St. George, Utah and had my first ceramics experience, like many, in a high school class. After graduating, I attended Dixie State University where I studied under Shane Christensen and received my associates degree. The itch to woodfire and the lack of resources around me drove me to move to Logan, Utah to study with John Neely and Dan Murphy where I recently finished up my Bachelors of Fine Arts in Ceramics in the spring of 2021.
I believe the human body influences our sense of form and proportion. By assigning anthropomorphic features and proportions such as bellies, arms, and heads, I aim to show this influence. I try to replicate the slope of the shoulders leading up to a head or an arm with a hand on its hip to show their personhood. I believe this allows the viewer to easily engage and relate with my wares.
These lively pots are enhanced with a dynamic and varied surface which are the results of wood firings. This interaction of fire, wood, and clay gives me a varied palette of colors and textures. My work are records of the aggressive atmosphere matched with soft forms to bring contrast. Drips of ash clash with markings recorded by the path of the flame, contrasting with one another to give a further sense of balance. I aim to invoke moments of awe with the contrasts of form and surface, but I also want the viewer to engage with the details of the work and dive deeper to explore the nuances of the pot.