Matthew Gaddie

My pottery is primarily functional vessels that attempt to communicate the underlying connection I see between the rural, hard working days of my youth and the life I want to live as a potter. The cyclical pattern of throwing, trimming, glazing, and firing are comfortable to a farmed raised laborer who has wonderful memories of planting, weeding and harvesting. In the age of quick marts, high speed connections, fast food, one-stop shopping, I try to live my life slowly and with purpose. In a time of massed produced uniformity I try to create works that are unique, each piece having recorded its own tale of creation, a tale of struggles, of successes, of failures, imperfections and hopes… The human tale. I hope that the quality of my work is subtle and simple and takes time to appreciate. Maybe the first cup of coffee in a handmade mug reminds people, in the hustle of their everyday grind, that things of real value take time. It is my hope that everyone who uses handmade objects will slow down for just a moment to talk, to catch a glimpse of dark soils, to view large open skies, and to connect.