Mimi Bardagjy
Vessel 6, 2020, Porcelain, 4 x 11 x 8 in.
Describe your artistic style in three words.
Organic; shape-shifting; dream-like.
What's inspiring you right now?
The work and life of Ruth Asawa, Agnes Martin, Louise Bourgeois. The scent of roses and hinoki wood. Small stones gathered along the arroyos of Santa Fe. Prehistoric stone circles and Cycladic goddess sculptures.
What do you do when you're feeling uninspired?
Arrange beloved talismans. Adorn myself. Putter around in the studio. Listen to Coltrane's "A Love Supreme."
Tell us something unique about your process.
My pieces reference the vessel but move beyond function. My main tools are my hands. I pinch, shape, and carve to refine the form and emphasize its movement as the piece reveals itself to me. During firing, porcelain shrinks 20%, which can distort or crack the work; the glaze and the porcelain interact unpredictably with the kiln's atmosphere. This way of working is a series of surprises which I've adjusted to and now embrace.
What advice do you have for other artists?
Make work that gives you pleasure.
Vessel 1, 2020, Porcelain, 5 x 6 x 4 in.
Vessel 2, 2020, Porcelain, 7 x 11 x 7 in.
Vessel 3, 2020, Porcelain, 4 x 11 x 7 in.
Vessel 4, 2020, Porcelain, 4 x 7 x 6 in.
Vessel 5, 2020, Porcelain, 5 x 9 x 8 in.
Vessel 6, 2020, Porcelain, 4 x 11 x 8 in.
Vessel 7, 2020, Porcelain, 7 x 9 x 6.5 in.
Sea Dream, 2018, Porcelain, wood mounting, 31 x 21 x 7 in.
After apprenticing with a production potter and years of finding my way with clay, I challenged myself to hand-build with porcelain. Within this parameter my methods and expectations gradually shifted. This freer approach led me to more sculptural work, and constantly renews my interest.