Center for Craft

Center

| Craft is for everyone

Building a future for craft.

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Center for Craft

Center

| Building a future for craft

Building a future for craft.

Fawn Penn

Windgate-Lamar Fellowship

2020

Bio of the Artist

Redline Amphora

MUD TAKE MY BODY,

VITRIFY MY ACHES,

EFFORTS OF RELIEF.

I explore the weight beared upon the body when living with chronic illness. My work is concerned with efforts of relief, the process of seeking treatment, the burden of self care, and patient advocacy. I combine allopathic treatment with holistic medicines, relating to my early experiences accompanying a sick parent in alternative energy communities. I am interested in tracing pain across the body, navigating a treatment record over time. Critically I consider the complexities of allopathic medicine and the validity of alternative approaches to exhibit the perpetual search for wellness. Clay imparts the knowledge of physical limits, recording the body’s movement. Troubleshooting the ceramic process is akin to the management of a chronic illness. I collaborate between body and material to produce work made with endurance. Performing the labor of craft creates clarity in process. I use porcelain to represent medical sterility, and iron-rich clay for detritus. My practice incorporates throwing, hand building, performance, and ceramic chemistry. I source materials related to my pain management, such as hospital gowns, medical braces, acupuncture needles, and anti-inflammatory spices. Clay became a form of treatment, and it continues to teach me patience and resilience. The body is a place for healing and decay; I am learning to embody my illness with compassion.

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