Synthetic Blues

Curtis and Suzan Benzle created Synthetic Blues by cutting pieces of colored clay and methodically piecing and rolling them together before gently placing the completed slab into a bowl-shaped mold to be fired. They used a special clay body that contained only twenty percent clay, the remainder being a combination of plasticizers, feldspars and flint, making the finished product as translucent as possible. The interlocking patterns of colorful stripes and playful red hearts evoke the image of a handmade patchwork quilt, which may have been inspired by Suzan's experience in textiles and weaving. The vessel's white lip creates a visible boarder, a signature feature of pieces the Benzles worked on together.