NANCY BLAIR

I am a materials handler. Earth. Water. Fire. Air. I want my hands and emotions deep into the stuff of matter. I use whatever works to communicate what I need to say. I’ve been working with clay since I was a teenager. The first ceramics class I took used molds and we painted glaze on the pieces. I was doing photography at the time and using molds seemed akin to having a negative and producing the same thing over and over. The repetitive process fascinated me; making the same thing different all the time.

 

I began working in glass at Pilchuck Glass School in 1997. I was invited to be a teaching assistant for a kiln casting workshop because of my experience with mold making. Working in clay or wax and transforming an object into glass seemed alchemical, magical and shamanic. I found myself drawn to the hot shop and the roar of the furnace. I had to get closer to the fire, the hearth, the ultimate element of transformation. I started hot casting, ladling molten glass into sand molds. I love the immediacy of the process. It captured my spirit. I ended up teaching hot casting at Pilchuck for three summer sessions.

 

Working with clay and glass is a demanding and unpredictable process; part magic, part science. It suits my nature.

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Early on in my art career I employed a diverse array of materials to construct immersive environments. These installation and site-specific works were not merely physical structures, but rather conduits for expressing my personal experiences inspired by healing traditions of shamanism and ancient Goddess myth. Through my art, I sought to illuminate themes of female identity, spirituality and empowerment.

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Working with a variety of materials served as a reflection of my own journey, incorporating elements both familiar and challenging. By intertwining found objects, neon, mail art, ceramics, fabric, earth, potatoes, bones, and pigment as well as renting a motel room for one such site specific video installation, I aimed to evoke a visceral response from viewers, inviting them to engage with the visually tactile and symbolic layers of myth and memory embedded within the works.

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The physicality of the spaces I created was crucial, as I aimed to disrupt traditional modes of perception and invite viewers into a dialogue with the environment. Through this approach, I sought to challenge conventional notions of beauty and confront the viewer with the rawness of the environment and its changing phenomena.

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My process was deeply intuitive, drawing inspiration from my own experiences, visions and dreams; as well as broader societal narratives surrounding gender, eco-spirituality and ancient myth. Each work emerged organically from the materials at hand.

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Ultimately, my goal was not only to create visually striking installations and sculptures but also to spark introspection and dialogue surrounding the physicality of the work; an invitation into an enchanting environment. Through my early works, I aimed to carve out space for my voice to be heard and validated within the realm of contemporary art.