Vessels For Growth

Abstract

This written report supports the creative thesis entitled Vessels of Growth. My work in clay and mixed media references southern culture with particular interest in the tobacco barns and buildings of the southern landscape because of the stories and activities they contain. These barns and outbuildings contrast with our modern lifestyle, yet they are still a visual part of our contemporary life. My work imparts the poetic, emotional qualities of these physical forms while revealing the beauty that occurs with their decay. These buildings are often surrounded by crops of tobacco, cotton, soybeans or corn. My work uses the imagery of the southern landscape as subject and incorporates the crops and plants of this region. These vessels constructed of clay are inspired by the barns and the land on which these buildings are supported. I will also describe my research into the agriculture and agricultural architecture of this region, particularly the thriving cotton, corn and tobacco crops.