This year’s readership-wide contest explores the varied meanings of the word grounded. For some, the term evokes something physical, like materials-based explorations, or a focus on foundational objects. For others, it brings to mind compositional balance, cultural heritage, meditative practice, and historical or environmental inspiration.
1 Doug Navarra’s Container with Dancing Fruits, 18 in. (46 cm) in height, earthenware, fired in oxidation to cone 03, 2019. 2 Martin McDermott’s Chondrite III, 16 in. (41 cm) in height, terra cotta, glazes, fired to cone 04 in oxidation, 2016. 3 Elaine Buss’ Chasm, 22 in. (56 cm) in diameter, earthenware, plaster, terra sigillata, melted raw materials, fired in oxidation to cone 2, 2018.4 Adam Knoche’s Crust, 18 in. (46 cm) in height, handbuilt basalt clay, slips, underglazes, glaze, oxides, fired in oxidation to cone 6, 2019.

 

5 Seth Green’s Domical Jar with Buttress Handles, 14 in. (36 cm) in height, stoneware, glaze, reduction fired to cone 10, slow cooled, gold luster, 2019. 6 Stephen Heywood’s pitcher, 12 in. (30 cm) in height, wood-fired stoneware, reduction cooled, 2019.

7 Shiyuan Xu’s Vena #3, 19½ in. (50 cm) in length, slab-built porcelain paperclay, glaze, fired in oxidation to cone 6, multiple glaze firings to cone 06, 2019. Photo: Guy Nicol.

 

8 Jamie Bardsley’s Palm Prints (installed at The San Francisco Museum of Craft and Design), 10 ft. (3 m) in diameter, porcelain, fired in oxidation to cone 6, 2019.8b Jamie Bardsley's Palm Prints, detail.

 

9 Eric Ordway’s vase, 13 in. (33 cm) in height, stoneware, flashing slip, wood/soda fired to cone 11, 2019. 10 Andy Bissonnette’s gourd vase, 18 in. (46 cm) in height, stoneware, terra sigillata, raku fired to 1835°F (1002°C), reduced in sawdust, 2019.11 Karyn Gabriel’s Lineage, 4 ft. 2 in. (1.3 m) in width, handbuilt porcelain, oxide, fired to cone 6, blackened steel wire, 2019. Photo: Jason O’Rear.

 

 

12 Jeanne Friscia’s Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Repair, 5 ft. 10 in. (1.8 m) in length, porcelain, shellac resist, fired in reduction to cone 10 in a gas kiln, 2018.

 

13 Galen Sedberry’s oval bowl, 14 in. (36 cm) in length, stoneware, slip decoration, rice-hull ash glaze, wood fired to cone 10, 2018. Photo: Silvia Ferrari-Palmer.14 Dylan Beck’s High Dynamic Range, 6 ft. (1.8 m) in height, stoneware, terra sigillata, underglaze, fired in oxidation to cone 1, paint, glitter, digital print on vinyl, 2018.

 

15 Meg Beaudoin’s sushi plate pair, 8 in. (20 cm) in length (each), handbuilt stoneware, Cedar Heights Redart slip, natural ash glaze, sea shells, wood fired in an anagama for 5 days to cone 12, 2018. Photo: Robert Sturm, Storm Photo, Kingston, New York.

 

16a Ryan Takaba’s 49 to a new (Alight) Day 1, 4 ft. 1 in. (1.2 m) in height, slip-cast porcelain, clear glaze, fired to cone 10 in oxidation, 49 porcelain incense burners, incense sticks, 2018. 16b 49 to a new (Alight) Day 49. As days progressed, the residue from the burned incense sticks formed a smoke pattern on the wall between the porcelain incense burners17 Richard W. James’ Prelapsarian and Antediluvian, to 21 in. (53 cm) in height, earthenware, underglaze, fired to cone 05 in an electric kiln, fabric, thread, 2019. 18 Trine Hovden’s untitled, 12 in. (30 cm) in height, earthenware, silkscreen.

 

19 Miranda Howe’s Earth Jewel, 8 ft. 6 in. (2.6 m) in length, slab-built stoneware, fired to cone 6, 2013.

 

 

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Topics: Ceramic Sculpture
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