Philosophy & things.

Art is life- but really.

When I was a child, I burned my right hand so badly that the doctor said I would be lucky to ever have feeling in it again. Since then I’ve been more than okay- so to be able to make things is a miracle in itself.

Art wasn’t always my path. I have been a builder and a maker since birth- however, in grade school, I was a learner and I knew a lot of facts and I loved knowledge. When I began college at North Georgia, I switched majors a few times before finally deciding on art marketing- because I thought a business degree would make my art successful. At North Georgia, I completed all of my foundation classes and through that, I studied self-identity (inside and out)- but yearned for sculpture, which they didn’t have. When I transferred, art marketing wasn’t an option- so I applied to the BFA Ceramics department because I’ve worked with clay for years and it felt safe and I was never one to fail. My first ever university ceramics project was a 2 foot tall vessel and I loved it. But the first couple of semesters at GSU I began to feel limited with clay because I had the opportunity to explore different materials and I felt as though I wasn’t quite able to express myself enough through clay. It began to feel uncomfortable and unfulfilling.

When learning other materials, I based my art around the concept of home and effects on the environment and how life can be depending on circumstances- while also trying to play on humor. And then I considered the people in our environment and how they affect us and our feeling of home and comfort. Each person’s definition of home is different depending on who their family and friends are and who they surround themselves with. Theres a type of dependability and “fit”.

——And then there is a certain type of destruction like a toxic breakup, whether it be friends, a second home, or loved ones- which can lead to uncertainty or doubt. This is when I really began to feel limited. I look at a block of clay and I think of free form and spontaneity and that isn’t me. I love functional, but I can only fall in love with so many of my cups and bowls and mugs before I become a hoarder who either needs professional help or a huge house.

I took a semester off to focus on what I really wanted and why I transferred in the first place. I loved sculpture and I wanted to learn as much as I could while I’m here about as many different methods as possible and I was still able to express nostalgia through materials other than clay. I came back and took a wood design class- that I was hesitant about taking in the first place- but it ended up being the answer to my prayers. I made a chair- I have never felt so much love for a project- and I could sit on it! The chair is titled “disconnected”, which wasn’t intentional about how I felt until I look back on it now. I learned so many different joint methods and I could use measurements and angles (and being a previous math major, it was like a dream come true). There was certainty and precision and I was the one controlling the machines and my hand and when it all worked, I was proud. I discovered my control again.

This led me into a materials study with wood and metal and concrete and clay. I made the same form but with different materials to really be able to focus on each of the different properties and solving problems in multiple ways. This opened up ideas with mixing the materials- and now my focus really is on home, mixed with a touch of humor and some irony.

My most recent work deals with wholeness and the feeling of home mixed with longing and nostalgia. Growing up, my family moved a lot- not really for a specific reason, but just because- and it put a semi-gypsy heart in me. I found my second home in Dahlonega when I left for college and part of my heart is still there. Even now I tend to move once a year to a new apartment, even if its 20 minutes away. New places give me new opportunities to decorate and “start over”. My comfort is in knowing that I can make a home no matter where I’m at, as long as I accept it.

For now, I’m busy playing with so many different ideas while devoting a portion of my art to the community and giving back to the world. In doing this, I have been able to learn a little bit more about my materials and dive deep into my own personal development and carving out my voice in the art world.

I’ll see you around!

Britni Treadway

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