Former USN student
“I'm inspired by the elegance and complexity of the natural world,” says Ryan. “I see this continuous pattern of creative energy moving through all things. From the simplest arrangements of fundamental particles, to the mysterious and awe inspiring interactions of living beings, there is a common thread of natural symmetry unfolding. Getting to be a conscious and intentional part of this process, in whatever way large or small, is to me the greatest blessing bestowed upon sentient beings.
“It's amusing and ironic to me that I've become so enamored with a style of art, such as dish ware and simple sculptures, given my inspirations. But time and time again, I feel drawn back to the potter's wheel and the feeling it gives me, that the fabric of existence flows through my fingers as I shape each piece. And as I shape each piece, I believe they also shape me.
“Perhaps this art form has become a humble admission of my small part in the big picture, that while I see a cosmos in every pattern of color and texture of glaze, I also make art in rather simple steps, in a straight forward manner, over and over again.”
Very, very large works can be quite imposing, and since I started throwing, I’ve dreamed big. Sure, there are plenty of technical challenges in creating large pieces, whether wheel thrown or otherwise assembled. But the least flexible constraint on doing so might be finding a big enough kiln in which to fire a very large piece. Of course, if the piece were bigger than the kiln itself, then it couldn’t fit inside to be fired. Conveniently, the temperatures inside active volcanos can reach over 1300 C, pretty good temperature for firing pottery. So, my dream is to make a megalith out of clay so grand that it would have to be lowered into a volcano via helicopter to be fired. How else could I fire something 10, 20, 50 feet tall? This is not a serious dream.
There’s no one place, at least anymore. I’ve found profound inspiration across the Atlantic in countries where the cultural narratives and symbols, as well as the lifestyle of people looks very different. As well is in places across the US. Seeing vast natural resources and experiencing the determination and love that drives so many people are just a few sources. I’ve found a lot of inspiration literally in my own backyard. But no matter where I am, I think the most inspiring place comes along with me. I believe there’s a place within all of us where we search for meaning. We’re surrounded by beauty and the creativity is innate. It just takes a pinch of courage to start connecting the dots.
In the past year or so, I’ve begun to make more work directly drawing from the beauty of the natural world, in hopes of bringing attention to something we can unfortunately take for granted. I recently created a series of pieces, all with a textured surface that I create by scoring and then stretching clay on the wheel. The surface is very much inspired by tree bark and intended to resemble it closely. I call this series “Remembering The Trees”. I hope these pieces never become the secondary source I’ve imagined them to be.
