Arrowmont's Artists-in-Residence Program -Alex Kraft

In depth exploration of the viscera and bodily systems is a departure point for my conception of imagined life forms and their environments.

I see the internal structure of the body as being comprised of two main aspects. These are the physical internal and the sacred internal. The first is that which is material: muscles, bones, organs, etc. These are visualized from macro organ level to micro cellular level. The second is that which is the intangible essence: emotion, intellect, intuition, instinct, etc.

The sacred internal and the physical internal comprise the same energy. It is as possible to feel emotion physically as it is to have physical acts cause emotion.
In my work, these internal layers are the grounds for the external tangible forms I create. The physicality of form, color, and surface correspond to the energy within.

My recent work has evolved around the above mentioned frame of reference. My current body of work employs layered oxidation glaze firings from mid range temperatures through non-fired surfaces. I have developed a brightly colored, multi-surfaced glaze palette that unifies the formal qualities of my work with its content. I have also delved into concepts relating to the internal in several two-dimensional and mixed media works.

I look to further expand upon these concepts. I am interested in creating forms that become individuals unto themselves, exuding their own life force, while relating to my notions of the layers of the internal body.