Medium: Glazed stoneware
Dimensions: 18 x 8 x 8
“My pieces originate on the pottery wheel. Once formed, I leverage my sculptural background to evolve the piece into something truly unique. My work is a celebration of the principles of contour and the economy of design. I avoid saturating my pottery with personal interpretation; I want the audience to play in the contextual gaps and delight in their personalized, private understanding of each piece.
My passions are focused around the physical presence of three-dimensional art. Where music is an art observed in the dimension of time, and where two-dimensional art captures conceptual information across a plane, my ceramic artworks beg the audience to experience the work as closely to the human experience as possible. Functional works are sampled with the tactile intimacy of touch. Sculptural works can only be partially observed from any angle, inviting viewers to capture information from multiple vantages, creating a conversation between the artist and the observant partner. The art I create is not produced solely for viewership. Motivated by my educational aspirations and the guidance of the pottery masters I've learned from, I strive to create high-quality pottery in-person during live demonstrations. While I show this process for the sake of the next generations of committed potters and hobby enthusiasts alike, my demonstrations of the simplest cylindrical forms become a rich conversation spoken between fingertips. Advanced pots are verbally dissected to unveil the symbiological relationships of contour and capability. From this overabundant focus on teaching the clay form flows a newfound personal desire to explore decorative elements, expanding my artistic presence beyond the functional.”
Makay Finley is a Californian native embracing a lifelong pursuit of the arts, including multimedia, music, literature, performance, and the ceramic poetry of pottery. Currently applying to Bachelor programs after completing his Associate's of the Arts, Makay's education journey is poised to continue through the Masters of Fine Arts level, as he pursues the qualifications necessary to become an educator. Makay's passion for experimentation is apparent in his ever-evolving style, as he balances artisanal quality and conceptual fluidity. When he's not volunteering at the Los Angeles Valley College ceramics department, you can find him instructing potters at The Pottery Studio of Sherman Oaks.
Medium: Glazed stoneware
Dimensions: 18 x 8 x 8
“My pieces originate on the pottery wheel. Once formed, I leverage my sculptural background to evolve the piece into something truly unique. My work is a celebration of the principles of contour and the economy of design. I avoid saturating my pottery with personal interpretation; I want the audience to play in the contextual gaps and delight in their personalized, private understanding of each piece.
My passions are focused around the physical presence of three-dimensional art. Where music is an art observed in the dimension of time, and where two-dimensional art captures conceptual information across a plane, my ceramic artworks beg the audience to experience the work as closely to the human experience as possible. Functional works are sampled with the tactile intimacy of touch. Sculptural works can only be partially observed from any angle, inviting viewers to capture information from multiple vantages, creating a conversation between the artist and the observant partner. The art I create is not produced solely for viewership. Motivated by my educational aspirations and the guidance of the pottery masters I've learned from, I strive to create high-quality pottery in-person during live demonstrations. While I show this process for the sake of the next generations of committed potters and hobby enthusiasts alike, my demonstrations of the simplest cylindrical forms become a rich conversation spoken between fingertips. Advanced pots are verbally dissected to unveil the symbiological relationships of contour and capability. From this overabundant focus on teaching the clay form flows a newfound personal desire to explore decorative elements, expanding my artistic presence beyond the functional.”
Makay Finley is a Californian native embracing a lifelong pursuit of the arts, including multimedia, music, literature, performance, and the ceramic poetry of pottery. Currently applying to Bachelor programs after completing his Associate's of the Arts, Makay's education journey is poised to continue through the Masters of Fine Arts level, as he pursues the qualifications necessary to become an educator. Makay's passion for experimentation is apparent in his ever-evolving style, as he balances artisanal quality and conceptual fluidity. When he's not volunteering at the Los Angeles Valley College ceramics department, you can find him instructing potters at The Pottery Studio of Sherman Oaks.
