Gus McCloskey

American, birthdate not known

Biography1990, graduated from Pratt Institute of Art

Artist statement:
Voice in the Earth
Experiencing other cultures through travel, I became deeply acquainted with Japan. Living there reawakened in me a love for the earth and simplicity of all things Japanese. Even more, my basic upbringing as a ceramic artist took place in Japan through three traditional apprenticeships which laid down a disciplined foundation.
When able to fully focus on my work, I get down to refining subtle variations in form. “Shizen no Sugata” or natural form, means each shape found in nature has a unique quality all its own. In terms of my own work I treat each piece in this way, as a living form. I intuitively select appropriate clays to fit the desired feeling of each series. For example, to express an elegant quality, light colored smooth clay would work best. This is called “Tsuchi no Aji” or tastefulness of earth, but it also suggests that the inherent characteristics of earth alone are worthy of aesthetic consideration. As an apprentice, digging, refining and preparing clays helped me develop this sense of selection.
As I work with clay, I envision the entire finished work in my creative eye during the beginning stages, this includes a certain cooperative relationship with the earth to resolve each work as a whole. Presently I am reinterpreting certain traditional elements and redefining them in a spirit of improvisation.
The way of earth is a continual reawakening of our daily routines. In a cup, we may begin to visualize certain metaphors which have some relevance to our lives. Through my work, I believe there is an invisible link between the heart of the maker and the heart of the user.

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