Page Title

STACIE JOHNSON-LESKE

Stacie Johnson-Leske
Artist Statement

As a child, I was mesmerized by dance. I was fascinated
by the difficult jumps and turns that the delicate dancers
made look so easy, and the way they were lifted and
tossed as if they were weightless. I was awed by the
strange and colorful costumes, the brilliant lights and
dazzling sets surrounding those beautiful and magical
dancing creatures.

As a ceramics artist, I am inspired by and employ many
lessons acquired from my years of dance training as I
dreamed of a career as a ballerina.

For me, the clay is the body of the dancer. I use a
gritless, white stoneware which appears to be delicate and
fragile, when in truth, it has great strength and elasticity.
As my “dancer” pirouettes on the wheel, it flexes-
expanding and contracting into elegant forms. I am the
music as I use the rhythm of the spinning wheel to
encourage the clay to compress and stretch into fanciful
shapes which, like a prima ballerina, are lightweight yet
deceptively strong and durable.

Once the form is complete, it is costumed in richly colored
glazes or textured in swirling black and white, enhancing
the shape and drawing the viewer’s eyes. Each piece
allows the viewer to bring to it their own feelings and
experiences, inviting them to see and lift for themselves a
light and graceful dancer.

As you look at a piece of my work I hope you see the
dancing, laughing lines, the unexpected bursts of color
and the joyful movement. When you hold a piece of my
pottery in your hand you’re also holding a small piece of
my childhood spent in the ballet.