The edges of our work really matter.

The edges of our work really matter.

The place where a vessel meets the table.

The rim meets the lips.

The end of the thread.

The contour of a brushstroke.

The boundary of the canvas.

The point where something hangs or contacts the wall.

These are not afterthoughts. They are where your work meets the world.

In many instances, this is where the viewer’s eye is drawn and lingers. Sensing whether the edge is resolved, intentional, alive, or something else.

Often edges “just happen,” they appear as a byproduct of making.

But when you explore them deeply, the whole work can strengthen, aesthetically and conceptually.

Every edge holds potential.

Dissolving

Sharp

Frayed

Feathered

Interrupted

Bleeding

Cracked

Folded

Glinting

Crumbling

The list goes on...

I selected this old test work of mine, created during an artist residency at The European Ceramic Work Centre. It was an idea. I really enjoy the roundness of one edge of the work and then the almost disappearance of the other edge.

Look closer.

What are your edges saying?