Statement
Skelly Bailey works in layers, in a sometimes modular recursive process. The foundation of her ceramic practice is her relationship with abstraction, the vessel, nature, color, and texture. Her works are formed by integrating the use of coiling, pinching, painting, and thrown clay structures to connect her sculptural vessels and corals. Her practice takes lessons from unexpected results from the kiln, as well as the layering of hand-painted surfaces.
Residing close to the sea, Skelly’s sculptural language draws from an interest and awareness of endangered surfaces found in the ocean. The sea wears and ages things in it, but these things then can become a platform for new growth. Like the cyclical life of marine animals living thriving and building anew onto old worn environments, Skelly’s sculptures emulate this process; combining disparate surfaces and finishes. Different shapes and tones, employing organic gestural formations. Expressing thought and emotion in her creations. Her innovative approach blends hand-built and wheel-thrown ceramic techniques to craft armatures that undergo multiple glaze firings. The result is an array of organic, gestural forms where glazes cascade, craze, and pool across the surfaces. Each piece embodies a dance of thought and emotion expressed through vibrant tones and textures, capturing the essence of nature and abstraction.
Drawing on a foundation of coiling, pinching, and painting alongside thrown clay forms, Skelly Bailey seamlessly integrates sculptural vessels and coral-like structures. Her practice celebrates the unexpected outcomes from the kiln and the layering of hand-painted surfaces, transforming them into intentional layers of beauty and complexity.