It's all in your head.

These are from my Junior Independent class for ceramics. I'm not sure if I have written about this before, and I don't feel like opening more tabs. The idea stems from philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre's writings about the three states of being and the concept of bad faith. In thinking about bad faith, I decided there is a chronic dilemma in today's society and in my own life of accepting mediocrity. Frequently it's in doing just enough work to get by, or just straight up laziness, but it's also in thoughts, setting goals, settling for less than what you know is good or right or deserved.

So I created two figures. The first appears as if she's holding a glass pane, or glass ceiling if you will. This is because women put up their own glass ceilings. It takes work to beat widespread social customs and mentalities. We have come a long long way, but we still have ways to go in that battle for equality. So it's a big deal when we put up our own glass ceilings. The little things make all the difference, but many women just don't think that far. Many women don't educate their fellow women. They end up unknowingly harming the cause with comments about female pastors being "just weird having a woman up there." Or when Hillary Clinton runs for president, conversation is turned to femininity and masculinity and the novelty of having a female in the oval office. What message is that sending to our daughters... that women in power is a strange unconventionality? How does that message affect our thoughts and goals? Even the smallest comments to girls about being feminine set up ideas about how women should act. Young ladies always cross their legs.

Untitled (Sartre), B-mix, glaze, approximately 36 inches

The second is a figure on buckets or Romper Stompers. It's a game. Not taking oneself and one's ideas seriously is another way to accept mediocrity and settle for less.

Untitled (Sartre II), B-mix, glaze, concrete, threaded rod, approximately 24 inches

These two figures are failures. I attempted to translate a drawing style to surface, and it was a risk that simply didn't work out. I'll admit that I am actually a little embarrassed to be posting them. I really hate them. However, in my loyalty to those interested, you should know where I started. These figures have merit in being my first figure sculptures of this size, and in being able to stand up on a first attempt. They were a learning process. As you'll see with my third figure, I learned a heck of a lot about the way I work best. I learned a lot about building and surfaces too. I also didn't try to do any "style." I just did it the way that came organically to me, and it's really what I should have done all along.

This third figure is a second version of the first sculpture. If it's a project about mediocrity, I can't accept a mediocre sculpture, now can I?
This is the first time I've found a surface that I LOVE. I love the way it looks, the way it feels, and the process of applying it. Surfaces are one of my biggest struggles, so this is a huge breakthrough for me.

Untitled (Sartre III), Stoneware, glaze, wax, approximately 30 inches

This figure is feeling like a jumping off point for senior thesis. I haven't been able to put much thought into that, but it's on the back burner for now.