Just as buildings crumble into the landscape, the body degrades over time. I research medical and architectural history to memorialize remnants into clay reliquaries. 18th century newspaper advertisements and apothecary bottles boldly proclaim fictitious solutions to cure all. The modern day patient is still seeking the same solutions, falling prey to parallel messaging. Snake oil salesmen promise miracle cures that feed on our constant desire for wellness. Working with archival phrases uncovers the desire to live without pain is timeless.
Ceramic history is human history with clay as its keeper. Images recorded into clay will always outlive the maker. By using these materials, medical advertisements become preserved beyond paper and hard drives. My work creates an artifact that stores the desire for life without pain. Architectural structures display wear and tear, resisting the impact of its surroundings. The body in pain shows the same marks, each experience shaping its form. However the body is temporary, unlike the lasting footprint of a building. To form human experience into clay is to record it into stone, memorializing the temporary.
