NON-DUAL FORMS

Non-Dual Forms are abstract sculptures which include a portal/opening as an invitation into a contemplation or conversation. Each sculpture seeks a balanced relationship between the varying dualities we as humans face, a prominent thematic in this body of work is the balancing of feminine and masculine, but the artist invites the viewer into their own opportunity to look at how they hold right or wrong, good or bad, you or me in their own consciousness and then try a non-dualistic thought process. These sculptures are glazed simply in black, white or copper matte colors so only form remains.

“The portal to every next level is through the parts of yourself that you avoid.” - Shannon Kaiser

BODIES AT REST SERIES

“Bodies at Rest” looks at Isaac Newton’s First Law of Motion, “A body at rest stays at rest unless a force acts upon it.” These abstracted ceramic figural forms capture how the laws of physics manifest in the human body, specifically from the artist's desire to manage her own bouts of depression. The work began as small languid figures, built from a single thick piece of clay, allowing her to take the lack of inertia she was feeling and put it into a physical form that she could hold out from herself and look at. It has allowed her to view her own depression from a more neutral place, unexpectedly becoming the force acting upon her “body at rest” and creating movement and healing.

Her personal micro-experience was that if something acts upon a body at rest, or a body depressed; ie: loved ones checking in, therapy, or a higher self guiding, making art, the issue can heal or come into balance. But what happens when that doesn’t occur? Stewart wanted to create larger work to represent the scope of the problem of mental health when left unattended.

Using scale by increasing the physical size of the work demonstrates the effect of leaving a problem to compound. Much as the artist's own process was challenged in making the work larger and larger, having to use coils, and build internal infrastructure for the piece to support their new largess. Scaling work is a parallel for other processes taking place around untreated or “un-acted upon” issues like depression. When a “body at rest” is left unattended it grows, becoming so dense and large it feels like there is no solution. All that remains is to return to the micro the individual and heal at that level.

TOTEMS / LEGACY

This modern ceramic sculptural series, LEGACY is designed by Paige Stewart. Legacy is an abstraction of the artists understanding of humanity’s purpose. While purpose is unique to each person, our histories are stacked upon one another, we share a similar beginning. And yet it is the branching away that gives us uniqueness, meaning, challenges, and opportunities for growth and transformation. Each segment depicts the many layered histories we come from, ultimately asking; What legacy are we leaving for those to come?

The client has the opportunity to work directly with the artist to create a unique totem specific to their origins and personal pattern, or allow the artist to intuit the entire process.

Dimensions: 9”D x Height Varies by number of Totem segments. Segments are typically 10” tall.

Materials: Earthenware Clay, Matte Glazes, Cone 6

E M B O D I M E N T

This work is about the process of becoming embodied, whole and full onto oneself and the struggle to do just that. This series of ceramic sculptures were made in 2017-2021, and were originally called Unity and Separation. However that is merely a part of the process unfolding within my work to become embodied. Embodiment to me is the coming home of the self back into the body, allowing every emotion and experience full expression without judgement or condemnation.

It asks for the self to stop numbing, hiding, avoiding, or projecting personal truths. It asks to regard the body as the home and source of spiritual insight, truth and wisdom. As a microcosm of the universe and great mystery, and is pivotal for enduring spiritual transformation or complete unification. Imagine living without fear, shame, or doubt. This work is about the return to ourselves, our bodies, our hearts and our ability to listen to the stillness inside and to move out into the world from that place. Each sculpture is shaped entirely by intuition, following the internal stillness and seeing what unfolds from that space.

The questions this series has asked are:

Why do we leave our bodies?

Why is it important to return to them?

Are we the becoming or undoing of ourselves?

What is an embodied woman or man like, can we recognize?

RESERVOIR

This series at its surface looks at how we manage and preserve water. Her movements between LA and Colorado, tracing the watershed from one to the other, watching the levels change over time; entranced her and led to a deeper dive into what language we use, “When we talk about water we are talking about the feminine” she realized.

This series is about witnessing the language that we use when we talk about our planet, which is mostly water. Collectively we refer to earth as Gaia or Mother Earth, nature at some level is defined by feminine pronouns. So it begs the question: How have we treated women and continue to treat women, or things that are feminine? They have been devalued, subjugated, manipulated, and exploited. Our forefathers established a relationship to nature by wanting to bend it to their will, control it and overall use it towards their ends. When I say our forefathers, I mean the patriarchial-industrial machine. Because who profits from all of these naturally occurring resources, like water?

Water rights are complicated but you know who owns most of the water rights in America, men. Why? Partly because women couldn’t buy land until 1974, and to have “rights” to water you have to buy land. It is hard to get in on the water game when land was purchased and “grandfathered” in. A perfect example of sexism in our language; you couldn’t grandmother it in, land passed through male heirs. Everything passed by women, like water, to men. So when we talk about water we are talking about the exploitation of the feminine. When we talk about nature and resources we are seeing something unbalanced. These Reservoirs are the container I have created to hold this difficult conversation…..

FUNCTIONAL SCULPTURE

Bodies at Rest Table

Is a new project, this protoype has the artists first attempt at make a sculptural work this large; the work is currently on display in Los Angeles at Lawson-Fenning.

EPIGENETIC MIRRORS

Coming Soon!!

Non-Dual Large Sculptures

This year brings with it the advent of much larger Non-Dual sculptures ranging up to 35” inches in size. The prototypes are features here.

SOIL + TOIL

A POTTERY COLLECTION: HANDMADE FROM THE EARTH

This pottery collection is a gentle evolution and study of place. Her pottery line is predominately influenced by her time living in Los Angeles, CA and then moving to Gunnison, CO. The artist always has a small amount of pottery available at anytime and is available to commissions when her other projects are quieter.