Lennon, Silver, and one of their two studiomates, Catie O’Toole, all make vases or variations on that form. Where they differ, first, is in decoration.
Working in porcelain, a difficult medium to start with, O’Toole makes decoration that “almost becomes part of the architecture of the pot,” explains Susan Dewsnap, head of Bates’ ceramics program and visiting assistant professor of art and visual culture. Using clay, both Lennon and Silver decorate the vessel surfaces. Lennon creates a sort of abstract pointillist technique with dots of clay. Silver’s floral imagery, says Dewsnap, has “more of a drawing quality.”
The three also span an attitudinal continuum. “Sasha has something I don’t often see in students, where she is carefree, but in the most positive way you could be carefree, in that it liberates her to try things,” says Dewsnap. “She’s willing to try things and not worry about the outcome.” O’Toole is at the other extreme, wanting control throughout the process.
“And Natalie is maybe somewhere in between,” Dewsnap says. Silver’s own take is a little different: “When things go wrong, I can’t come back from it. I’ll smush it and destroy it.”