A ceramic and glaze interpretation of the historic atmospheric river that affected the west coast in January 2023. This image was reworked from an image acquired on January 4, 2023, at 1:20 p.m. Pacific Standard Time by the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on the NOAA-20 satellite. 

The undulating surface of the tile and grid formation references a well-used navigation map and brings the individual into the piece as a player in the climate crisis. It is an investigation facing the tragedy of the Anthropocene Epoch and marks a moment in time, a collective experience, of severe historic weather.

Atmospheric River Retrograde is composed of 27 handmade terracotta panels (Electric Brown Clay from Laguna Clay Company) rolled to 3/16" thick, hand cut, raked on the reverse, and manipulated to have an undulating surface.

Blue and white glaze were swirled together in ½ cup batches to create the color and fluid line quality. The glaze was then poured onto the tile for a generous and spontaneous application, guided by the hand-drawn lines that charted the image. The tiles were then fired to cone 5/2200°F in an electric kiln, leveraging the high heat to distort the image and create psychedelic glaze effects. The blue glaze in this piece is 100% studio waste glaze collected during 2022 as a closed-loop sustainability program.

60" w x 44" h x 1.5" d

(152.4 cm x 111.7 cm x 3.8 cm)

Clay, Glaze, Recycled Glaze

2024