Murer, Michael Gerard2015-05-092015-05-091983https://scholarworks.montana.edu/handle/1/3704My background in ceramics has led me to an exploration of vessels, vessels that lose their function as a utilitarian object and develop into another level of consciousness. By eliminating the functional aspects of the vessel I am able to enhance the form, thus giving the interior and exterior surface a mystical quality. This metamorphosis takes place due to the plastic quality of clay and slips. I am interested in the intrinsic nature of clay that is maninpulated with a variety of surface textures and tensions. The organic forms I create have a gestural quality that suggests the human figure. I use this scale to confront the viewer on a one to one basis. Painting has given me a way of expressing my past. My experiences and feelings are integrated into each piece by the use of color and line which has become my personal vocabulary. My intention is to create a dialogue between the viewer and the work. My imagery is redefined by their own experiences. Hopefully this exchange of information gives the viewer an insight into my thinking. My work then becomes an inner reflection of my self.enCeramicsSculpturePaintingHuman figure in artSelfThesisCopyright 1983 by Michael Gerard Murer