Autumn Cipala
Autumn Cipala
Porcelain has long been Autumn’s preferred medium as she is drawn to its essential qualities of translucency, luminosity, and strength. She forms each piece by hand on a potter's wheel and later fires it to 2400° F in a kiln. A balance of clean lines, curves, and volume draw emphasis to the form of each piece. Some are unadorned while others are embellished with patterns that are drawn and carved freehand into the surface of the clay, pierced through the clay, or applied with slip. The quiet beauty of each piece is enhanced with a soft translucent glaze, revealing subtle details.
Autumn’s most recent body of work is largely influenced by the combination of her many inspirations; the beauty of her surroundings in mid-coast Maine, her travels and experiences as an exchange artist in Morocco, and her personal research as a curious historian of ceramic objects from many cultures.
Autumn Cipala holds a BFA from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University, and an MFA from University of Nebraska – Lincoln. She exhibits her work nationally and internationally.
I aspire to make forms that quietly engage the viewer, inspire curiosity, and invite a sense of discovery. These are objects that ask one to slow down and to notice the subtleties of form, surface, and function. My intention is for these vessels to be used mindfully.
An assuredness of form is essential to this work. Curves, volume, and proportion are balanced with restraint. I prefer complex yet clean forms that are enhanced by soft translucent glazes. Consideration of balance continues as pattern is balanced with unadorned surface, cool color with warm, and cup with saucer.
I am attracted to glazes that are most able to reveal the translucency of porcelain. These glazes are inviting to touch and soft in texture and color. The glaze surface varies among pieces, either possessing a watery shine, a silky skin-like quality, or displaying both of these qualities as the glaze stretches and pools to articulate detail.
I am interested in light for its ability to capture ones attention as it illuminates: fleeting sunlight on a tide-pool, or light beaming through a window to fill a porcelain bowl, creating an illusion of suspension. Inspired by nature, the luminosity of translucent porcelain, and openwork I consider light as an active element as I compose form and pattern.
I look to historical ceramics for ideas and inspiration, and integrate elements of these works into my own as a celebration of our rich ceramic lineage. I am inspired by the work from many cultures, from China to Western Asia, North Africa, Europe, and the Americas: by work that embodies harmony, purity, elegance, and a tranquil presence.
The play of cast light and shadow, a lilting edge, a jewel-like pool of glaze collected in a shallow dip: these are treasures that reside on the periphery of our attention. I am engaged in bringing these outlying elements into the forefront. With attention to detail, I hope to entice the viewer to linger in contemplation and reflection, developing an intimate relationship with the object.
