On Flame and Transience: Atmospheric Firing in Wood Kilns

Join us for an evening at Commonwealth Clayworks with artist Anne Roffler, who uses the potter’s wheel to create everyday pots and devotional objects. Anne is interested in conveying the cumulative nature of fleeting moments through wood-fired surfaces. Our personhoods are a collection of memories and experiences that have all ended, but we are completely changed by them anyways.

Similarly, in the wood kiln, the fire roars to life and touches the pots for a finite time; once the flame dies, the pots have been marked forever by that temporary encounter. These surfaces serve as a reminder that we are changed by our environments and that these changes can be unpredictable, surprising, and beautiful. Anne invites the audience to learn about wood firing and the surfaces that can be achieved through this type of labor-intensive, community-oriented firing style.