Chandra DeBuse
Despite the adage, "don't play with your food," ceramic vessels have historically served as objects of amusement. English fuddling cups and puzzle jugs make games out of consuming liquids. Greek rhytons performed the dual roles of cup and facemask. Amidst the strict roles of Victorian society, tables were abundant with playful majolica serving pieces, referencing character and landscape. Chandra DeBuse’s ceramic designs continue this tradition of inventive form, inviting the user to consider fresh interpretations of service ware.
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Chandra-DeBuse at MudFire
Gallery group show Damn Right I Got the Blues, June 2011
Chandra-DeBuse Artist Bio
Originally from small town Nebraska, Chandra DeBuse grew up biking country roads and drawing woodland creatures. Chandra studied ceramics at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln, Penland School of Crafts, and Haystack Mountain School of Crafts before receiving her MFA from the University of Florida in 2010.
She is currently an artist in residence at the Armory Art Center in West Palm Beach, Florida. Chandra's pottery incorporates bouncing lines, low-relief, candy colors and hand-drawn imagery.
Chandra-DeBuse Artist Statement
As a maker of functional pottery, I use narrative imagery, pattern and form to reflect human attitudes toward play. The intimacy of using a handmade object infused with bouncing lines, candy-colors, low-relief and hand-drawn elements beckons users to ponder the playful message illustrated on each item.
Voluminous three-dimensional forms are inspired by land developed to serve the purpose of pleasure: golf courses, public parks, and swimming pools. Manicured and controlled, these playscapes contain the pleasures of nature without the fear of the wild.
Playful patterns and drawings cover the surface of forms. Patterns found within nature, such as tree bark, water waves or flower petals are abstracted and simplified, dancing and ricocheting across forms. Drawings show characters dwelling within the landscape of a vessel, inviting human fingers to also roam the topography, seeking out their own nourishment. The intimacy of using a handmade object invites a relationship between vessel and user, allowing users to ponder the playful message illustrated on each item.
Despite the adage, "don't play with your food," ceramic vessels have historically served as objects of amusement. English fuddling cups and puzzle jugs make games out of consuming liquids. Greek rhytons performed the dual roles of cup and facemask. Amidst the strict roles of Victorian society, tables were abundant with playful majolica serving pieces, referencing character and landscape. My ceramic designs continue this tradition of inventive form, inviting the user to consider fresh interpretations of service ware. I hope that through the interaction between the user and object, a playful attitude is sparked.
