Alexis
Nichandros Moyer
I like
people to smile when they look at my work. The
pieces shown here are from two series I have been
working on for the last few years - a ewer (water
jar) series and a chair series.
My ewers
aren't made with the intention of anyone using
them, but rather are exaggerated forms made just
for fun. Since I enjoy throwing pots on the wheel,
many of my ewers begin as thrown forms. I make each
of the parts body, spout, handle, and lid
individually, paying attention to the sizes at the
rims so that they will fit together as needed.
These parts are often altered either by bending or
by cutting away portions before the final assembly.
The ewers have a playful humor that appears during
the assembly process. It is fun to watch each one
come into being and shape its personality by making
subtle changes in how the forms fit
together.
My chairs
are child-sized pieces that have a whimsical sense
of humor. They lean and sag as if they were
relaxing. Again they are not made for use but
rather to be chuckled over and enjoyed. The chairs
are generally hand built from slabs and coils. I
begin with a concept for the chair and loosely
follow it as I work. I like to let the chair become
what it will as I blend my idea with the
constraints of gravity. The chair backs are built
separately from the seat and leg portion so it is
the final assembly that brings the whole concept
together.
My formal
ceramic training is from California College of Arts
and Crafts in Oakland, CA where I studied with
Viola Frey and Art Nelson. After receiving my BFA I
had the opportunity to study Minoan and Mycenean
pottery and architecture in Crete, Greece. It was
an experience that strongly influenced me both in
terms of forms I find pleasing and in developing my
love of intense colors.
Since
1988 I have had my studio and gallery in Philo, CA
in an old gas station that I call The Pot Shop,
(open daily by coincidence or by appointment). I
thoroughly enjoy meeting the people who collect and
enjoy my work. As a potter, being able to share a
mutual enthusiasm for pottery with people from all
over the world has been a very special and
rewarding experience for me.
Due to my
love of throwing I also produce a complete line of
functional pottery.
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