Heather Barr loves absorbing histories and translating them into contemporary forms. She has been investigating terra sigillata, a surface she finds “enticingly tactile,” but she had reached a plateau. The Jerome Ceramic Artist Project Grant has helped her reach the next level through the acquisition of a ball mill. She says, “The ball mill allows for experimentation in materials … leading to richer surface opportunities and a greatly increased color palette.” She has conducted multiple tests and firings over the course of her grant year, experimenting with different terra sigillata recipes. She has also been working on a number of new functional forms, including lidded vessels for food storage. Such intensive research is typical of her process and drive to experiment with traditional handbuilding techniques, while investigating the production wares of different cultures.
Heather Barr
