Maia Danks
Biology and Studio Art Double Major
I make ceramic art for people to use in their daily life, connecting the user and the artist regardless of physical distance or relationship. I am intrigued by how individuals interact with functional art and what feels right for different people, regardless of their varying physical abilities and body shapes.
Remnants of processes that shine through ceramic objects, like throwing rings inside of a mug, allow me and the user to appreciate the unpredictable yet malleable nature of ceramics. The act of drinking from a mug is intimate, becoming art in itself; placing lips to a ceramic rim, holding it in between hands.
In a way, functional artwork is never finished. Even when it has left my hands as the artist, it will change in the hands of the new owner. It may chip along the rim from the dishwasher or discolor from the drinks it is filled with, but it will not be a stagnant work of art on a shelf. Even these seemingly mundane changes in the everyday life of the user allow the piece to stay alive and in process regardless of any future interactions that I have with it as the artist.
Photo: Eric Mueller
Installation view, Maia Danks, Perlman Teaching Museum, Carleton College, Northfield, Minnesota. Photo by Eric Mueller.