Jen Gandee

When working as a potter, I want to create objects that are useful and enhance domestic life.  I like the discipline of solving formal problems through a series of related forms and the rhythm of work that comes from this practice.  It is empowering to sell my pots to individuals who appreciate their beauty and functionality.  This straight- forward relationship between maker and audience is simple and rewarding.

My pots are generally wheel-thrown and hand-built with slabs of porcelain clay.  After an initial bisque firing, I glaze the pieces and fire them to 2260 degrees.  The images derive from my original photographs and scanned sources, which I manipulate digitally and print onto special decal paper using a laser printer.  The toner from the printer has enough iron oxide in it so that when I apply these decals to my work and re-fire them, the iron permanently melts into the glaze. 

Biography: Jen Gandee grew up in West Virginia and graduated in 1996 from West Virginia University with a BFA in Ceramics.  In 1998, she moved Syracuse, NY.  Gandee developed a line of functional ceramic work, which was sold through the ACC wholesale craft market, national craft shows, gallery venues and studio sales from 1999-2005.  She received a MFA from Syracuse University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts in 2008. Currently, she is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Art at Le Moyne College and Cayuga Community College and owns the Gandee Gallery in Fabius.