For my Potter Research Project, I decided to choose Sara Torgison. She is an interdisciplinary artist with a focus in pottery and fiber and was born in 1987 in San Diego, California. Torgison’s work is primarily in ceramics, but she utilizes yarn and fiber in her pieces as well. To do this, she punctures holes in her clay where she wants to weave the fiber through. Once the piece is dried, she can then add the fiber and sew pieces together to create their finished look. She has achieved both her Bachelors in Fine Arts from Humboldt State University as well as her Masters in Fine Arts from the University of Cincinnati. Torgison currently teaches ceramics at multiple universities including Miami University in OH, the University of Cincinnati, and at Queen City Clay in Ohio.

This unique style is what first attracted my interest, as I’ve never considered the possibility of mixing media like this. I think it’s amazing how she can create holes in her ceramics that actually serve a function for additional creation. And the result is astonishing, not only does it produce a piece that’s visually interesting, but it also is symbolic of the contrast within ourselves and the formation of our identities.

Her work focuses on the “tension between the human impulse to build, the relentless march of time, and the inevitability of entropy” (artaxis.org). Within these topics and through her work, she creates a sense of desperation, distortion, and connection between opposing textures and concepts. This stood out to me, as I often battle with feelings and thoughts that are contradictory to each other. Her work to me is not only about finding peace within the internal war, but also finding a way to connect the two sides, however opposing.

A mix of porcelain and wool was used by Torgison to create the above piece titled “Savior Complex”. The detailing lines in the pottery creates the visual texture of fur that makes the piece more realistic. It becomes clear that she is portraying a pair of mice, which is a powerful selection seeing as how we study their brains and behaviors to learn more about our own. The use of wool where the face of the mouse would be creates negative space in a sense, and instead of making a face, she decided to connect the two pieces of pottery using fiber. The string of wool that connects those pieces produces visual dominance, as our eyes want to naturally follow it’s direction and how it’s in the middle of the piece. The mice’s fur are both white with pink detailing, symbolic of purity, and it shifts the focus from just the mice to the harmony and the connection between the two mice, through the use of white wool. Overall, I just really enjoy this piece, I think Torgison expresses so much with simple detailing and such a unique style, and it generates a lot of thought and emotion.

References:

“Sara Torgison.” Artaxis.Org, artaxis.org/artist/sara-torgison/. Accessed 12 Oct. 2023.

“Art: Sara Torgison: Cincinnati.” Mysite, www.saratorgison.com/. Accessed 12 Oct. 2023.