Lisa Bailey

Artist Statement

When a person sees a rare moment of beauty in nature or recognizes the truth in something there is a distinct moment when a shift in consciousness occurs.  This moment of lifting and awakening is what motivates me to make art.  My intention is to create something that facilitates movement, expansion, and lifting within my own consciousness and that of the viewers. 

I am working in an architectural fashion to create large scale multi-sectioned wall pieces that are initially inspired by mandalas.  Mandalas (ancient visual and ritualistic formula for elevating one’s consciousness) have captured my interest for several years now.  I appreciate the power of icons to tap into one’s unconscious and the amazing capacity for order despite extreme complexities.  I also find it compelling to move beyond the traditional square and/or circular formats of mandalas and discover my own interpretation of this type of visual organization.

On an aesthetic level, I am intrigued by repetition of patterns, shapes, and forms.  When they fit together, much like a puzzle, I experience a certain satisfaction – imagining that I have just captured a precise moment of an endless motion of kaleidoscopic images.  It is at this very moment that the clay materializes a specific thought, feeling, or awareness that is part of a larger pattern of endless movement within my own consciousness.  Using this as a springboard to get me started, I create personal contemporary icons that manifest the energy of my heart and potentially reflect back to the viewer the rich and complex layering of their own inner beauty and power.    

Process

My favorite ceramic materials to work with are stoneware and high fire glazes.  Slab construction is my primary methodology for building up spatial depth and form.  Each section of the wall piece is completely hallow and had a grid-like support system in the back to give it structural strength as it undergoes the high temperature of a cone ten reduction firing.  I have recently included sandblasting as part of my finishing process and find the results to be rather exciting.

BIOGRAPHY

Lisa Bailey is currently attending Barry University working toward a M.S. degree in counseling.  She is also setting up a studio space of her own for the first time, which is a long awaited and very welcomed experience.  Prior to moving back to Miami, she attended the University of South Carolina where she was involved with graduate studies in fine art (specifically ceramics).  She received her BFA Degree from Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia, PA where she majored in Art History.  Lisa also did a two-year program in Applied Psychology at the University of Santa Monica in Los Angeles, CA.  Her education in psychology and art history both play a significant role in the conceptual impetus of her artwork. 

Throughout Lisa’s college career she has exhibited her work in numerous locations including: Staunton, VA; Philadelphia, PA; Orlando, FL; and Kansas City, MO.  She has also gained experience in teaching ceramics to both children and adults, ranging from summer art camp programs (SC State Museum) to college level (Winthrop University).  While balancing graduate studies and teaching responsibilities, Lisa was commissioned to do sculpture for the Cultural Council of Richland and Lexington Counties (SC) and had her work published in GUILD Sourcebook’s “The Artful Home” (Volumes I & II).  

The common thread throughout all of these endeavors is Lisa’s deep passion and tenacious dedication to making art.  She is looking forward to an even more productive and prolific art career now that she will have her own studio…shifting from artist as student to professional artist.  She is also excited about her current studies at Barry in counseling and believes that there are many different ways to reach out and connect with others (whether it is through visual means or verbal discourse).