Brenna Busse
ARTIST STATEMENT/BIO
“We are nature in human form.” ~Tara Brach
Illuminating our connection to nature and seeing ourselves as being nature are ongoing intentions in my work. Because my art depicts the human figure, and clay is my medium, there is an inherent connection: made of clay, we are earth. In creating with clay, I am struck by its flexibility and responsiveness. As it warms and forms in my hands, it has a kind of tenderness. I have experienced a tenacity too, in the clay. Beginning a piece with an idea in mind, the clay seems to take a different form as if by its own knowledge, alive in its own becoming.
There is ritual with clay that I find very centering. All of the elements are present, with their essential qualities: water -- to moisten, keep the clay flexible, and then to leave when it is time: air -- to dry the clay, fire --the heat of transformation -- and of course, earth -- where it begins and ends. In this elemental celebration, the lumps of earth become figures. After firing, I stain them with paint or ink; brush on acrylic paint to highlight surface, add color. Recently, I have begun to use more fabric, natural materials to add softness, texture; and to revisit my time as a fiber artist. I remember the forgiving nature of fabric. These pieces are unabashedly gentle, peaceful; inspiring us to open our hearts, to connect with nature, and that spirit within us. They are caught in a moment in time, in a gesture, in awe.