Jarred Pfeiffer

My work explores the beauty of the Driftless region’s geology, and how it influences my daily life. Living in La Crosse, Wisconsin, I am encircled by nature’s elegance. Surrounded by 600-foot bluffs and the mighty Mississippi, my senses are tuned to the textures, colors, and forms of the changing seasons. Between the vein structure of a leaf to the geologic strata of the bluffs, themes large and small are present in my work.

I make both functional and sculptural ceramic work with the aim to capture the colors, textures, and forms that I observe. I utilize techniques ranging from the potter’s wheel to slip casting to construct these “localized monuments”. I use multiple types of stoneware and porcelain which allows me the ability to play with delicate smooth and white clay, to dark and gritty clay.

The majority of my work is fired in a wood or a soda kiln. Most work is fired without glaze, allowing the kiln’s volatile atmosphere to decorate the surfaces. Within a firing wood kiln, the wood ash flies through the kiln and is deposited on the surface of the work. This accumulation of ash melts as the peak temperature of the kiln can reach 2,400 degrees F. In the soda kiln, a solution of soda ash, baking soda, and borax is sprayed into the kiln at peak temperature. The solution volatilizes and sodium molecules break their molecular bonds. These molecules fly around the kiln and fuse with the silica in the clay forming a glazed surface. These unstable firing methods mimic the unpredictability of the natural world which I try to emulate.