About Jake Johnson
I lived in Wisconsin and Texas, but grew up mostly in Peoria, Illinois. I attended Bradley University and studied both sculpture and ceramics. I then moved to State College, Pennsylvania with my wife Katie, and earned an MFA at Penn State. I currently reside in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania and work out of my home studio and at the Potters’ Guild in Lemont.
Where to Find My Work
Work can be purchased from this website, either through the store page when it is available, by contacting me using the form on the contact page or by emailing jakesclayart@gmail.com. My work is also available at the Gallery Shop on Pike Street in Lemont, PA, Picture This on Prospect in Peoria Heights, IL, and the Creative Oasis on Beaver Ave in downtown State College, PA.
About the Work
In making my work, I take clay-- broken down by many forces from many things into a simple, homogenized substance, and give it a new life as something more complex. By giving it just some of the basic qualities of life—a sense of movement, growth, and breath—the pieces can take on personalities and presence.
The inspiration for many of my forms and surfaces come from nature. Nature and its many life forms, including the human body, offer an infinite palette of forms and shapes to work from and explore. Such a variety and diversity of life exists in nature-- from plants and animals, to viruses and bacteria and everything in between. The ability to move, grow, and ultimately die, is the common thread which exists in all of nature. This element of energy is at the core of my work and the pieces which best exemplify it are, in my mind, the most successful.
