Joey Sheehan
Joey Sheehan creates fluid, lively pottery enhanced with rhythmic slip and intense ash glazing. He describes his pottery as "controlled chaos” intended to enhance the daily life of the user with functional beauty. Beautiful to look at and hold, the work’s supple multicolor glaze surfaces slide over one another, with textural ripples reminiscent of water - or lava.
Available Pieces
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
No Longer Available
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
Joey Sheehan at MudFire
Spotlight solo show Joey Sheehan, March 2010
Gallery group show Mug*Shots, August 2009
Joey Sheehan Artist Statement
Clay is my passion. Functional pottery creates a relationship between artist, object, and user unlike any other medium. I am intrigued and motivated by the idea of an art form used so intimately in everyday life. I make pots of purpose: mugs for steeping tea, platters for the perfect salmon filet, cereal bowls, sunday cups, and centerpiece vases. I make pots for the enjoyment of working alone at the wheel, the thrill of every firing, and the anticipation of every kiln opening. I make pots to express myself.
My experiences, emotions, and surroundings are reflected in my shapes and surfaces. The drifting and melting of snow and ice on a remote mountain-top, the smooth curves of the figure, and the erratic dance of a crowded bar are all seen at play in my work. Life and nature are beautiful, inspiring, and unpredictable, and I strive to achieve similar qualities in my pots. With form, rhythmic slip and intense glazing I pursue the relationship between an uncontrollable world and the people and objects influenced by it. Using fluid and undisciplined slips and glazes, my pots are what I define as "controlled chaos." The work is intended to enhance the daily life of the user with functional beauty, but also to inspire thought about objects and lives in a world that may or may not be spiraling out of control.
