Heather Nameth Bren: Defying the Boundaries of Clay

Heather Nameth Bren is a ceramic artist who questions ceramics itself and it's boundaries. She describes her work as a 'collision of formalism and abstrast expressionism' (www.heathernamethbren.com).

Bren finds inspiration for her work from ceramic artist Peter Voulkos and ceramic sculpturer Robert Amesen.  Voulkos explore forms in his work and this exploration of form is also evident in Bren's work.

Bren questions the value of ceramic art and what makes a piece more valuable than another piece of more beautiful.

My current body of work, non object of little value explore biases and hierarchies in life that are parrelled in clay art. In such an object-dominant utilitarian field. I question the preconceived notions and boundaries that are placed on and accepted by ceramics and art. (www.heathernamethbren.com)
 

Her work is fearless. She does not concern herself with value and beauty. Bren uses 'the body and the vessel as inspiration'. She brings new life to old pieces whether it's using a cast off scrap clay or re-glazing an old piece.

In her artist's statement she describes her technique for creating pieces as: 'many of my ceramic forms are a result of large sweeping gestures or aggressive slamming and jamming.' (www.heathernamethbren.com) This technique seems to bring about a sense of movement in her work. Some of Bren's work looks like it's about to fall off it's display.

Bren finds similarities and links between clay and painting. Colour is central to her work. And like her technique in moulding the clay into shape, colour creates a flow and movement her in piece. Colour also creates texture in her work as she layers colour onto her ceramic pieces. The layered painting style gives almost a tactile nature to her work. You almost want to touch it.

Bren has a particular interest in the ceramics movement in California:

I continue to engage the driving force behind the ceramic movement in California in the 50s: studying not the field but its limits, and defining these limits for the purpose of extending them' (Brian O'Doherty, Inside the White Cube).

I find Bren's work intriguing. There is a nice flow or movement in her work. Her use of colour and pattern are unique and interesting. I find it interesting how she reuses and recyle materials in her pieces. This is something that I would like to explore in my own work. I like how Bren is consciously trying to bring something new to ceramics and to clay.