Contemporary American ceramic artist Joanna Poag's Untitled II Sculpture is part of the Equilibrium Series. It's hand built and sculptured, fired to cone 5 and hung by fishing wire. The Equilibrium Series is exploring the idea of resting balance. Continuing to explore the homeostatic process, this piece explores movement in a form that is split along a horizontal plain. There is a massiveness and movement as the viewer encounters the piece, the whole is in harmony with all of its components. Hanging the piece on line and giving it a dark color gives weight and heaviness to the piece. All works are accompanied with a certificate of authenticity and/or signed by the artist.
Image 11: Joanna Poag received her MFA from the School for American Crafts at Rochester Institute of Technology and her BS from Roberts Wesleyan College. She is currently an Adjunct Professor of Art and Gallery Director of Davison Gallery at Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester, NY.
Provenance: This sculpture was acquired directly from Joanna Poag.
Artist Statement:
“My work explores the homeostasis of a system, and the resulting equilibrium from multiple parts self-regulating to form a whole. The multiple components of each piece make up a unified whole, creating a glimpse into a moving, healthy cross-section—a living, open system.
The time and process involved in the creation of each piece is a meditation that is reflected in my work; there is an organic, human quality clearly visible in the fingerprinted surfacing of each piece. The renewing of life and growth in even the smallest of structures is refreshing to me and I hope my work encourages my viewers to explore the intricacies of the world in a fresh way. I continually seek to create a glimpse of the elegance of structure and order that I find so captivating.
My process begins in on paper. After careful research and preparation (of systems spanning string theory, calligraphic flourishes, plant life, music and math), I transfer my designs to Adobe Illustrator and print them, using each printed line as a “floor plan” on which to build my numbered clay components. These components are displayed together as one system or grouping of components. As the year progresses, I hope to continue making large-scale installation work as well as explorations in clay that physically spiral through space. I seek to push the boundaries of the material in ways that I have not discovered yet—finding multiple paths to investigate the structural intricacies that each existing system holds.”