It has been an absolute pleasure to work with Melissa and Anthony Alderman on three years of vessel commissions. We were introduced by an Alderman family member who happened to be a mutual friend. The foundation of the project has always been grounded in a love, admiration and respect for the handmade. In early 2019, the Aldermans were in pursuit of a quality gift that they could share with clients and coworkers of North By Northwest Consulting that would be more than the standard (and somewhat generic) factory-made item. They wanted something that would strike a chord with the recipient and become a beloved object.
Up for the task, I took on the project with my then-collaborator, Chandra DeBuse, and we created a series of mugs that year that echoed our “F&DB” style and body of work. That style was reminiscent of the urban Kansas City area where the work was being made, taking many cues from the structure and surfaces of the bygone era of the streets and buildings. Two series came form that style while the Aldermans owned and operated NxNW: the mug and the tumbler.
When Cushman and Wakefield acquired the company, Anthony and Melissa once again wanted a series of mugs that would showcase the change. I made the creative decision to alter the style of the work, making something slightly cleaner and more crisp. In its first iteration, behold the 2022 C&W logo mug! The form is rather sleek and minimal, taking shape cues from a place of stability. The handmade and impressed stamp continue the strong evidence and appreciation for the handmade. As with the other cups, these are microwave and dishwasher safe, although I personally enjoy washing mine by hand.
You’ll see that the following images were taken during different times that each series was in creation. It is difficult to express the time, dedication and patience that go into making each piece. The satisfaction of creating something that the client believes in and supports greatly encourages the maker’s soul and the time and energy seem to take care of themselves.
I'm sure none of us likes being bullied or bossed around. No one I know is in favor of being a victim of circumstance or intentional molestation. So I started making work that investigates power structures and control systems. When the economy hit the fan in 2008, it seemed like a good place to focus some energy. Maybe it was reading Animal Farm too many times or listening to far too many podcasts about the "economic downturn" and "Great Recession," but this body of work continues to be the results of thoughts on those topics. Satirical and darkly comedic, I have Emily Dickenson and Mark Twain as my guides.
Vessels add an extra layer of content based on their implied function. This body of work is enhanced by the nature of use.
Whether we're taking about watering hole dispensers, the shot glass collections or trophy-like urns, personal identity meets community like-mindedness in this body of work.
Made in a variety of clays, in a variety of ways, the piggy banks are an exploration in usable table-top sculpture. Whether they are slip-cast, handbuilt or press-molded, wood-fired, sandblasted or decaled, they each have character and tell a story.
Take them at face-value. Press-molding in stoneware and porcelain, fired to Cone 5 and 10.
These pots are made with my collaborative partner, Chandra DeBuse. Inspired by Kansas City, the functional pots take cues from bygone-era painted signs on brick buildings, weathered MidWestern scenery and a shared love for mid-century design. The mark of the hand and evidence of process are also important touchstones.
These images were taken during the making of large ceramic pieces for my MFA thesis show Loot, Leverage and the Pursuit of Haplessness while at Bowling Green State University.
Special thanks to John Balistreri and Joe Pintz for their wisdom, consulting and help with photography.
