Allison Petroski

Ceramicist

After rediscovering clay at 24, I simultaneously reestablished an interest in mehndi design and I began to research the culture and art of India and Asia. In exploring these ancient civilizations and art forms, I discovered that art and spirituality have been intertwined since the beginning of time. I also discovered that both have a profound affect on my own life. In May of 2008 I finished my Bachelors of Art degree at Burlington College. Although my focus was in ceramics, the underlying theme of all the work I produced at school, and that I continue to work on now, is the relationship between art and spirituality. I spent a large portion of those two years, when not in the ceramic studio, researching Eastern philosophy, Hindu and Buddhist deities, metaphysics, and Indian culture. I even visited India in the winter of 2008, traveling to Hindu and Buddhist monasteries and temples.

My clay pieces are very much a physical representation of my interest in Eastern culture, philosophy, and art. The lids and shapes of my vessels are inspired by Indian and Asian architecture. The jar, in India, is said to be the embodiment of the Mother Goddess- a vessel to hold and nurture. The surface of each vessel is adorned with various black and white decorative techniques, based primarily on mehndi design, drawn with pen and ink. I am very attracted to the contrast of black and white and I usually do not incorporate color into the designs. The designs alone create a vivid visual symphony of pattern, movement, and rhythm. In India, it is also thought that design is an abstract way of representing the divine.

Although my pottery can be displayed as decorative art work, my intention is to create a line of funerary urns and devotion pots. I have started drawing incorporating Sanskrit mantras onto the surface of my pieces so that people can use the vessel in their own spiritual practice. Mantras are believed to hold a high vibration of energy and by repeating the sacred words, looking upon them, or hearing them, your energetic vibration rises.

In addition to drawing on my pieces, I also do raku and saggar firings. Horsehair raku is a firing process in which I fire the pottery to 1800 degrees, remove it from the kiln with special tongs, and place strands of horse hair over the surface. The hair burns away and leaves a carbon imprint. Saggar is a similar firing process, accept mostly organic chemicals are fired with the pots to create a variety of soft colors.