acase@tulane.edu / It is of paramount importance to me as a maker to marry art and craft within the confines of function. I make porcelain objects with specific physical uses in mind. I develop my work to address aspects of aesthetics and design simultaneously. The relationship we have with handmade pottery is unlike that of other art objects. It is personal, relational, and intimate. As such, I create sculptural vessels intended for physical use. I draw great inspiration from the natural world. My vessels are imbued with volume, and are reminiscent of organic life forms. I am fascinated with the plumpness of sea tunicates, flower ovaries and seed pods. I am intrigued by the ethereal depth of cloud formations. I heavily manipulate my wheel thrown forms by hand to incorporate a quality of pillowy fullness within an organized but imperfect formal structure. I stretch and push the clay into billows, and bind these structures with a criss-crossing of geometric lines to create convex swells within the walls of each vessel. I glaze each piece to accentuate the form, and have utilized colors from the natural world that complement the external curves of the vessels. As a functional artist, I strive for the vessels that I create to have a dual purpose. We fill our lives with objects; I want my contribution to our world to be simultaneously elegant and utilitarian. / 1 / Danielle B. Inabinet

I use porcelain clay because it allows me to focus on the subtle color shifts between white, beige, and gray. The forms I make in clay are associated with tangled roots, naked tree branches, hollow logs, and bones. I reveal this with a dense mass of curvilinear hollow forms that stack into a rhythmic linkage. They twist and turn, relying on gravity to dictate their structure within the installation. The ends of some are closed while others remain open to expose their interior. The tearing and perforations on the surface of each piece are employed to emphasize deterioration. In opposition to the tearing and perforations, I also add concave lines to the surface creating a flowing moving force. The surface is both visually active and smooth, allowing the eye to roam and focus on specific areas. I'm also working with the accumulation of pieces to communicate growth. The individual pieces rest on one another, growing into an interlocking structure. The pedestal is a formal presentation that is specific to the space. For this installation, I wanted to make the work monumental by elevating an accumulation of pieces. When walking around the artwork, there's an opening in the platform for one person to walk in and be surrounded by the two sides of the piece. The work is above eye level and surrounds the viewer at both sides. I want people to view the mass from the outside, but to also have an experience from the inside.