Michael Lancaster

"I work on the potter's wheel making forms that I can alter and reassemble. I am inspired by old industrial shapes, old equipment and farm implements. I fire most often using Raku, as it enables me to give a patina of age and antiquity."

Sculptor Michael Lancaster is attracted to the shapes and patina of discarded industrial objects. Working in clay, Lancaster creates objects that resemble industrial artifacts, aiming to engage the viewer in a dialogue about beauty and enjoyment.

Lancaster explains, "As I see it, industrial objects were once shiny and bright, with the aura of promise. After years of use they are worn and discarded, usually in a field or an industrial lot. It is there, in the arms of nature, that they gain a second life-- and with a new patina, and acted upon by the natural elements, they become beautiful works of sculpture. "

In his work, Lancaster captures the beauty of objects that held power within industrial civilization. As if seen through a lens of time, Lancaster's clay sculptures and rich palette of finishes and surfaces lead us to believe he has unearthed these perfect shapes in a world just slightly different from our own. Lancaster's influences include Mark di Suvero, Hans Coper, Don Reitz, Willem de Kooning and his uncle, John Warren, who could build anything out of anything.