Exhibition of Recent Work

by Tom Dickerson

I consider myself a contemporary potter in that I am answerable as an individual for my artistic choices and decisions. The pieces I do refer to Pueblo water jars of the late Glaze and early Historic Matte Ware Periods. I do this as a matter of artistic choice. I am of Anglo-American origin. Each piece I do is a new expression, a fresh experience with what I know of the clay, the fire, and the many water jars made before my time.

The clay I use comes from the hill behind my house in La Cueva, near Pecos, New Mexico. The sand temper comes from an arroyo in the same area. The clay is gritty. If it is too refined, the pots made from it tend to warp, so I leave the clay a bit gritty. The color slips come from natural deposits in the Galisteo Basin, and from Pecos and Santa Fe canyons. The black matte paint is mineral with some organic binder (boiled down juice from young Tansy Mustard plants). The ore for the glaze comes from a secret place around Los Cerrillos, New Mexico.

My pots are coil built, scraped, sanded, slipped, and then stone polished. The black paint is put on last. The pots are now ready to be fired, all previous steps having been done on unfired clay.

Many of my design ideas come from old potshards and from Rock Art. These ideas have to be developed and built to fit each new pot. I use black line to define shape and color. It is the “feel” of the clay and the beautiful earth colors that keep me going.

In firing, I depart from earlier tradition in using various combinations of saggers, and closed kilns, as well as direct fire with wood and manure. Whatever combination I use for a specific piece, I insist that the pot be hard fired, able to hold water without runining the finish.

I have been making pots for years. I enjoy it. I respect my anonymous teachers.