JORDAN COONS CERAMICS
Jordan is an award winning ceramic artist and arts educator in Syracuse, NY. She intersects craft and artistry by specializing in functional and conceptual components to address her thoughts on human nature, fragility, strength, and resilience.
She received a B.S. in Art Education from Buffalo State College (2010) and a M.A. in Art Education from Maryland Institute College of Art (2017), both in which she concentrated in ceramics. Jordan’s creative practice is primarily inspired by and intended to engage students seeking to define their own artistic identities and embolden their search.
ARTIST STATEMENT
I am drawn to the metaphor of “the body as a vessel”. I see my work as individual vessels; beings.
Like people, my work has an exterior surface that is ornately carved and decorative, much like how we clothe ourselves, wear our hair, or tattoo our skin. We "decorate" our outer vessel; our skin in many different ways.
The exterior vessel can also be interpreted as a window in the round. The negative space allows glimpses of the inner vessel. This iteration of the metaphor harkens to how we interact with people and allow certain people to see beyond our exterior and get to know who we really are beyond the surface.
The interior vessel is the functional part of the piece, with multiple uses such as a drinking vessel, planter, or bowl. Our human body has a physical use, but internally there is a heart, soul and mind that inhabits the vessel.
Each piece is unique and different. Each piece has a personality. There are often flaws, and some are more noticeable than others. I lean into the imperfections, and challenge the programming of a typical production potter where there is no room for flaws. At first glance, a piece may seem utterly beautiful and perfect until you get closer and can notice a crack or slip-up from carving. I find it important to sit in the intersection of uncomfortable feelings where the unrealistic expectations clash into reality and we realize that nothing in life is perfect.
My art focuses on combating the dehumanizing narratives that plague our society at the moment. It encourages individuals to hold it and remember that we are all imperfect, with fragile exteriors that can break at any moment. When we handle each other with care, we can begin to see our fellow human for the complex heart, soul, and mind that inhabits that body.
INTERVIEW
Mornings in Corning
check out this interview where I talk a bit about my art and teaching.