One glimpse of Jeremy Brooks’ crocheted vessels, and you’d be forgiven for thinking they’re knotted with vinyl cord. These playful, colorful, and meticulously crafted pieces are actually made of porcelain. His works are also deceptively small—usually around three inches wide—making the process of literally stitching slender lengths of clay even more impressive.
Currently based in Conway, South Carolina, where he is Assistant Professor of Ceramics at Coastal Carolina University, Brooks has spent the last several years experimenting with the consistency of clay. While we may think of the hardened medium as brittle and rigid, the artist challenges the limits if its flexibility.
“A portion of my research has fixated around a unique blend of clay materials that possess qualities of elasticity rather than qualities of plasticity traditionally found in common clay recipes,” he says in a statement. “To put it plainly, it behaves more like rubber than clay, and sets up very quickly once the components are measured and mixed.”
Brooks begins by extruding long coils in different colors, also sometimes rolling the medium into paper-thin slabs. Unlike greenware—clay that’s hardened but has not yet been fired—the material is very pliable and stretchy. “A coil made of this clay can easily be tied into a tight knot,” he says. “This method may be used to join different pieces together, or the clay can be crocheted, knitted, or woven into more dynamic forms.”
Many of Brooks’ vessels are exuberant expressions of color, while others are more earthy and wood-fired. As if made of soft material, the vessels appear to squish and bend, further emphasizing the vibrant reference to fiber.
Brooks’ work is on view alongside Steven Young Lee and Michael Velliquette until December 31 at Duane Reed Gallery in St. Louis. Find more on the artist’s website and Instagram.
