Ingrid Bathe
Newcastle, ME
Ingrid Bathe forms all of her work by hand only, using porcelain clay. By mixing the porcelain from dry materials and adding paper fiber to increase green strength– she then uses a process of only pinching the clay to achieve the desired form and apply a thin layer of glaze on the inside. The outside of her pieces remain unglazed; The clay is fired to high temperatures, cone 10. It is vitrified, translucent and begins to flux so the unglazed portions of the piece have a slight sheen to them. By firing in reduction, Ingrid intentionally creates the white porcelain clay cool, bluish tint that is iconic in her work. All functional pieces are dishwasher and microwave safe.
Thoughtfulness is evident in the way Ingrid handles clay and necessary when viewing or handling her work. In her practice she skillfully employs basic, traditional methods of hand building to emphasize the scope of possibility within the medium. The methods she employs while constructing are integral to the final presentation of the work. “I want the process of creation to be visible to the viewer: when two pieces of clay are joined together I leave a seam line, each pinched mark is left intact so when looked at closely my fingerprints can be seen. By making objects out of a fragile and precious material, I expect the delicate nature of the work to provoke a heightened awareness and sensitivity on the part of the viewer. Ingrid Bathe lives and works in midcoast Maine – a place of long, quiet, serene winters and bustling tourist filled short summers.
