Lana Ferguson

'Play Area'

My work is ‘Plork’ by definition.
Combining work and play in a ceramic based practice, I use a potter’s wheel to throw work and join forms together to create larger sculptural objects; often without a definite plan, allowing the process to fuel the outcome. It is through working with clay that I discovered just how much learning and playing are overlapping experiences, one that we often lose as we enter adulthood. 

I am attempting to pause this outcome before it has the chance to occur, by leaning into a new avenue within my practice which prioritises a making process that is playful, I am able to create work that is then in turn enjoyable for the viewer to experience too. I often find that once the making process is over and these objects glazed, they are ripped from their playful state and become a ‘delicate’ piece of art so the fun and playfulness I experienced during the making process is lost, which is why I create interactive ‘Play areas’ to bridge the gap between artist and audience.