Artist’s Statement

Monika Smith AOCA, BA, BFA

            You have to have a sense of humour working with porcelain and horses. Sky blue celadons, and horses with ears up and tails flying, what more can one ask?

            Aspects of the natural world and what I know of the horse are teased into sculptural or vessel forms. I look for Chinooks, and windswept prairies, mountains, feral creatures. There are underlying myths and metaphors: sometimes about a horse; sometimes it’s a decorative thing; sometimes it’s about functionality;  sometimes it’s about capturing transiency.  When I ask why, science sometimes comes to the rescue about materials, about analysis, about physiology, physics. Just where did Schroedinger’s cat go?

            It is about transformation and the alchemy of elemental changes especially when the pieces are fired—the kiln turns into a dragon.

            One can almost see hail in dark July clouds. Winter lightening is beautiful, as is alpen glow. Or remembering the beautiful curve of an ear flicking forward. Then the quick lick of clay to capture it.

Blasted Horse; 2007; Stoneware, soda firing, cone 9/10 reduction; 17.5” x 10” x 5.5”

Dust Devil Horse: 2007: Stoneware, cone 9 reduction; 31" x 15" x 12"

Tall Neigh-ping Vase and Paddock; 2007; Porcelain, cone 10 reduction; 16.5” x 6.5”