Pam Dodds

Artist statement

Concepts
From the ridiculous to the sublime. I work on the wheel. An experience initially so like sticking your hand up a cow's bottom. But also, by contrast, a transportation that results in finding yourself playing a rhapsody on a finely tuned instrument. I am interested in most things. Words are very important to me. I have always read, anthropology, myth, legend, poetry, science fiction and fact. Also I have had close links with the church resulting in a great love for ecclesiastical language and music. I have what I consider to be a healthy scepticism about religion and continually find myself asking questions, though this does not mean I am without a belief. I often find that my work may be sparked off by an ethical or religious question even though this may not be obvious in the final piece. For my degree show (2001) I based my work on the Christian Eucharist and the manifestation of the Holy Spirit; this resulted in some very impractical chalices. Recent works are distant echoes of that project, but I now find myself becoming more preoccupied with the form and proportion of the pieces. I regularly attend a life class workshop and I'm sure my awareness of the human anatomy also informs many of my pots.

Influences
Life experience, religious belief and doubt, science, gravity, wind, most people tell me what my inspirations are, sometimes an annoyance, but sometimes a revelation

Career path
I was originally a nurse despite deep down always wanting to be an artist. I married, had children, worked part-time as a nurse, a playgroup helper, a classroom assistant. I helped out at the local church and quite often conducted artistic projects for children. When time allowed I attended life and portraiture classes. When I felt my youngest child could cope with a (wonderful) childminder after school, I decided to embark on a full-time degree course. Because it was too far to go to the nearest college that did Fine Art I decided very much on the spur of the moment. I was asked which department I wanted to look at and I said Ceramics. I had never used clay before. I often wish that I had done Art when I first left school but then I realise that I would not be who I am without all these life experiences and the work wouldn't therefore be what it is! What comes out sometimes makes me feel quite transparent. I can't do it any other way so I suppose it's a real reflection of me.