Candice Methe
Gerton, NC
Biography
Originally from Falmouth, MA., Candice Methe is a studio artist and educator. She has been working in clay for twenty-five years and most recently moved to the mountains of Western North Carolina. She received her BFA in Ceramics and Art History from Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ. and her MFA from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. Inspired by historical objects and traditional ways of making, she has traveled to Japan, Ghana, Nicaragua, Mexico among other places to study the traditional practices of artisans working in clay. In pursuit of her artistic, peripatetic practice she has done residencies long-term and short-term at Santa Fe Clay, Red Lodge Clay Center, the Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts and Roswell Artist in Residence Foundation. When not in the studio, you can find her outside exploring ghost towns, ruins, road-side museums, mountains and rivers with her three dogs Loulee Streetfighter, Deming Bones and Rumi.
Artist Statement
The foundation of my work is the presence of the hand. When I coil and pinch the clay, I leave marks as I build the forms, which act as a record of intention. Working in this way makes the process slow and allows me to spend time considering how the anatomy of the vessel comes to life through line, form, and surface. With every piece I strive for subtle, soft, surfaces and the deliberate execution of shapes that move between discreet profiles and dramatic contours. While making, I am more interested in an improvised conversation with these components, rather than a pre-conceived formula. The content of these vessels is embedded in this decision as well as the delicate interplay of formal elements and external influences.
In each piece, there are echoes of historical pottery and yet they exist as contemporary vessels. I find inspiration where the art of indigenous cultures intersect with agriculture and architecture and in the history that permeates ceramic art and its endless possibilities for self-expression. The vessels that I create are a document of my intent and a signifier of my connection to this life.
