Around 2500 B.C. the peoples who inhabited the rich red clay banks of the Ocmulgee river discovered that the earth on which they lived, when mixed with straw and reed and heated over a fire, miraculously changed into vessels that could be used to make their lives easier. The oldest piece of fired pottery ever found on the North American continent was found here when the Smithsonian Institute began its excavation of the Ocmulgee mounds in the early twentieth century.
As the native American culture evolved from 1000 B.C. to 900 A.D. the craftsmen begin to understand that not only could pottery be useful, it could also be beautiful and it could communicate, with all those who used it, messages about history, weather, family life and religion. Beautifully embellished pots, scored and painted by ancient hands now reside in the museum at Ocmulgee National Monument as examples of the earliest uses of fired and decorated clay ever found on this continent.
From 900 A.D. through 1650 A.D. the Mississippian culture of the Southeast perfected its use of tools, construction techniques, farming practices and pottery making, which was an integral part of their culture as well as their commerce. From the exploration of this region by the Spanish in 1540 through the colonization by the English in the 18th century, the “Creeks” as they were called, continued to perfect their methods of making and decorating pottery. Their handiwork was traded with the “outsiders” and made its way around the world, not only as currency but for the first time as art.
Throughout the American period people have continued to use and experiment with this natural resource as a means of artistic expression, utilitarian use and commercial benefit. The modern industries that are based in the clay of central Georgia range from chalk, cosmetics, brick making, medicine, enhancement of paper products, paint, pigments and countless other uses that make our lives better. During this evolution we have never lost our love or fascination with the art of the potter…picking up the earth, shaping or spinning it into shapes and forms, combining it with fire, and reveling in the result.
Fired Works celebrates this Story of Clay. The authenticity of this exhibition comes from the act, by all these artists, of reaching down, picking up a piece of the earth on which we live and fashioning it into the countless works of art you see here. Some useful, some for exhibit, some traditional, some expressive, some painted, some glazed, some large, some small, but all made from the heart of Georgia…Clay.
