Cara Taylor

Cara Taylor has been working with ceramics for over two decades and in the last several years has developed a unique body of sculptural work influenced by her love of textiles and recent experiences with basketweaving. 

Each piece is slab built from a heavily textured stoneware clay body. After construction comes the deconstruction - she cuts them horizontally into rings that then get stained and fired. The final process is then "stitching" them back together with waxed linen thread. This is both a structural process and a decorative process. Grid-like patterns reminiscent of hem lines or quilt patterns envelop the vessels and make for a sturdy construction; there is practically no movement between the pieces.

Her work explores how two different crafts can be merged together to create something new and distinct. Each component contributes to the overall aesthetic of the vessel, its texture and geometry, as well as the structural integrity of the piece. Ornament and structure are one and the same.