“Clay is a captivating
material. Rich in variety, infinitely pliable in its
natural plastic state, and enduring when hardened by fire,
clay has always been a unique vehicle for creative
expression.”
“My own introduction to
clay came many years ago in the form of a small Phoenician
jar that my father kept in his study. Everything about this
little pot was new to me; its shape, its surface design,
even its purpose. Yet despite the jar’s age, when
held, the feeling of being close to the person who had made
it was very strong.”
“The memory of that
little jar came back years later while I was living in
Japan with my wife Donna. Many of the pots we saw (and
used) spoke of a marriage of clay, hand and spirit that I
have come to recognize as the foundation for work of
lasting value. Within this elusive combination lies a
connection with the past and an anticipation of what might
yet be that are, for me, what it means to be a
potter.”
“For the past several
years I have been working with red earthenware and
porcelain clays. The varied techniques and rhythms of work
that earthenware and porcelain require are, for me, what
keeps the creative process fresh and the finished pieces
rewarding.”
“Many of the pieces are
made with a sectional throwing technique similar to one I
observed in the work of Inoue Manji in Arita, Japan in
1971.”
Mr. Merritt’s fine
pottery is held in many private collections and museums
through out the United States, including The Smithsonian
American Art Museum, and The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston,
Massachusetts.