Artist Statement.
I am drawn to ceramics and more specifically, pottery as a medium because of the intimate relationship between the user and the art. As I have continued to explore my artistic interests I have found this attraction and interaction reflected in the raw materials themselves. Each material has its own unique attributes and I am able to reflect my desired glaze outcomes by the inclusion or omission of these ingredients. The interplay between raw materials within a glaze is often reflected in the final piece to show my decisions and appreciation for the materials. These calculations can be pushed even further than the materials themselves as I use the kiln to affect the outcome of each piece. Precise formulation and temperature manipulations within the kiln are used to create a piece that is freckled with crystals, blushing with chrome, or dripping with pigment. Each of these choices is made to create a work of art that is both simple and powerful.
My work continues to reflect this intimacy as I create clean forms made for interaction. This means creating mugs with handles designed to be held against the chest, plates made to be stacked, platters made for serving, and decanters with spots constructed to spiral and aerate. These small details that compose my work is another way to incorporate my desire to learn as each piece reveals possible alterations through continued use. By choosing to focus on simple and organic forms I am able to elevate my research as the piece works symbiotically with my glazes. This creates a relationship where one does not outshine the other, rather the glaze and the form are read as one body.
My passion for research and the chemistry of glazes stems from a deep-seated passion for learning. As an active member of the Honors College and someone who comes from a family of teachers, it is my firm belief that learning should be continually explored and shared. Research is not meant for finding a conclusion, but for asking questions and exploring outcomes. I embody these ideals in my work as research and development play a key role in each piece, from an initial literature review to the in-depth analysis of each formulaic response, to the final presentation of my work as both art and information.
Artist Bio.
Madelynn Tahsler is an Undergraduate student at Valdosta State University studying the ceramic arts. She has shown her work at the Dedo Maranville Gallery in Valdosta, The Albany Arts Center in Albany, and The Art Place in Marietta. In these showings she has received awards for best in category in both ceramics and drawing at the South Georgia Juried Student Art Competition. While living in south Georgia for school, Ms. Tahsler has worked as an intern at Plough Gallery in Tifton, GA, has been a figure drawing monitor for Valdosta State University, and has engaged in community art related activities such as sharing her passion for ceramics with children at the Tifton Museum of Arts and Heritage. Ms. Tahsler is a ceramic artist working primarily in material and glaze chemistry. Through the exploration of ceramic materials Ms. Tahsler is able to explore the minute variations in chemical relations and reactions to show how they affect the overall visual artifacts of a glaze. Her findings and research have been published through Omnino, the Undergraduate Research Journal for VSU, in her 2020 article “Empowering Ceramicists: Exploring the Relationship Between Material Variations and Visual Artifacts Within a Glaze”. She continues her work in glaze research through her ceramic material studies and writings. She will be graduating Summa Cum Laude and has been named President’s Award for Academic Excellence recipient for the College of the Arts. She will be continuing her dedication to the ceramic arts and research as she teaches workshops and attends residencies across the Nation.
