Jordan Becker

I was born on a horse ranch in 1983 to a pair of hard working parents. The ranch was up and coming to its prime, with fifty horses that needed stalls, fencing and had a hefty upkeep. I didn’t realize that when my dad put a hammer in my hands at eight and a bulldozer under me at 16 he was building important, creative and inspirational experiences for me. The farm life gave me patients, built strong and steady hands, an awareness of nature and the ability to create.

Leaving High School I figured it would be best if I continued my education, I did consider more then once to enter the work force as a carpenter or welder. I thought about buying a cabin in Vermont, having a dog and an old truck and working in town as a carpenter. Art was an area that I never considered as a possible direction for me. I spent two years at University of Connecticut studying history and literature working part time as a welder. In 2003 I transferred to Bennington still pursuing social sciences. I picked Bennington because it was strong small community and up in the mountains. It was there I had my first experiences in clay.

After bouncing around from department to department I found clay in 2004. I was in the Bennington architecture school constructing models of building that I designed in clay. I remember my instant inspirations by the action reaction feel I got with the material. I quickly saw the romance and dedication in the life of a studio potter, and within six months architecture seemed second to ceramics.

Upon entering my senior year at Bennington College I received a private studio and began my first serious explorations in clay. After piles and piles of bowls, vases and cups fired in all different atmospheres I found myself struggling with the utilitarian pot. Although I absolutely loved throwing a simple tea bowl I didn’t really feel like I could fully express myself in it. So I began drifting away from utilitarian ceramic vessels to more untraditional ceramic sculpture.

Using clay as a way of self-exploration and growth I began to cut vessels open, spread them out and build cities on top of them. The wheel became a tool to make components and pieces of larger ideas. Bennington embraced my sculptural interests and encouraged my growth, and gave me a wonderful foundation to build on.

Leaving Bennington I was burning to keep my hands in clay and with a desire to be around artists I took a leave from the farm life and moved to New York City in 2006. I learned that finding a working studio in Manhattan was difficult. Thankfully I found Greenwich House Pottery. I enrolled in classes at GHP for a year, and continued throwing and building abstract forms. In 2007 I took the two year artist resident position at GHP and worked for the school in exchange of a small studio in the basement. During my first year as a resident my work has been focused and developed a clear voice, I have been returning to my original ways of creating with wood and steel, thinking about attachments, joints and structure looking at them through a clay lens. As an artist I am always trying to work out and express an idea that I cannot successfully paint, write, draw or tell you about. In my studio the ideas in my mind are transferred into my hands and pushed and pulled into the clay.