Rick Epstein – DISCONTINUED

In the late 1990’s I began a full-time pursuit of clay, producing a wide range of wheel thrown and hand built sculptural forms that were Raku fired.  As time passed an inner need to create my own decoration began to advance in my work.  Trips to museums for study of ceramic antiquities pointed to illustrative uses of clay and my exploration of landscapes in 3 dimensions.

Fractionalizing or slicing an image into its component elements originated from my love of Asian art and that perspective of a Chinese screen.  The tile for me became a plain canvas from which emerged a three-dimensional landscape from the wet formless clay.  Depth of the surface plays with light as the surface shadows shift throughout the day.  My color process relies wholly on ceramic mediums (no paint) and fired to 2000 degrees Fahrenheit.  This process leaves a naturally matt earthy surface.  Nature, and by that I mean the woods, streams, lakes and mountains, have always had a hold on me.  The landscapes I sculpt in clay are inspired from locations in my native New England.