CHANCE TAYLOR

BIOGRAPHY

Chance Taylor is a ceramicist and educator who grew up in Fargo, North Dakota. He graduated with a BFA (2018) in ceramics from North Dakota State University and received his MFA (2023) from the University of Missouri, Columbia. He is currently doing a one-year residency at Access Arts in Columbia, Mo where he teaches and maintains an active studio practice. Taylor’s work  draws upon his fascination with an object’s purpose to facilitate culture and  fulfill our psychological and practical needs through everyday use and ritual.  His most recent work is influenced by the natural world movement and is made to celebrate and elevate the every-day.

Taylor has displayed his work across the nation and participated in many juried and invitational exhibitions, taught studio courses both at the University level and for private institutions, and is currently working as an Art History Lecturer at Truman State University.  He is currently working towards a solo show at Columbia College to cap off his residency at Access Arts.

ARTIST STATEMENT

My pots are deliberate, highly crafted, and intended for daily use. I draw inspiration from the world around me, and have a special affinity for things that grow. I do not seek to replicate natural forms. Rather, I pay attention to those qualities that drew me to them and translate those qualities into something tangible, useful, and nourishing. I divide my pots symmetrically, using line as a means of projecting order onto my forms. This evokes a particular aspect of nature, one which is structured, recurring, and purposeful. It is a language of symmetry and simplicity.

I use ornamentation to enhance and highlight areas of connection: handles, rims, and feet. Ornamentation serves to elevate the act of use, it is purposeful. The handle should feel as though it were made for your hand and the lip should caress your lip as though that were its only purpose. The visual language should enhance the sensual experience.

Towards this end, I reinforce formal relationships and refine them to the smallest detail,  reflecting visual language throughout the piece. Soft curves echo throughout my forms; the rims, handles, and feet all share this quality, playing off of and reinforcing one another. These elements come together harmoniously, creating a unified aesthetic and a pot that is a pleasure to use. In this way, my work can elevate and celebrate the everyday.

Surfaces are chosen that highlight and enhance these formal decisions. The use of color is delicate. Glazes break beautifully over edges and pool within vessels. Like still water, my surfaces produce a feeling of serenity and calm. My hope is that my pots can find their home in the rituals and rhythms of daily life. That they may change the way we see these everyday tasks by imbuing what was once ordinary with new and growing meaning.

www.chancetaylorceramics.com
Instagram: @chancetaylorceramics