Pinder Pottery & Gallery

Thank you for visiting our webpage.  We will be updating our website this year 2024.  All of my pottery is thrown and made by hand in the studio/gallery at 236 Main Street, Galena, IL. Thank you for being patient in the last few years with many changes of other artists in the gallery.  ~ Joe Pinder

Artist Statement

An artists expression is only limited to what you can or can't imagine  with a specific material. Basically, there are no limits. I have always enjoyed a challenge and do not want to make the ordinary or simple.

I use a unique clay body that is not used by large production pottery companies. My clay body is a mix of several clay bodies and textures making for a unique clay color and texture.  Most large clay companies use a non-texture porcelain body because of it being the most abundant clay source on earth and it's ability to be used in clay molds in high production facilities. 

One of the challenges every artist makes every day is to choose their canvas, color scheme and surface texture.  My canvas is my clay clay color. My color scheme and designs have been purposefully chosen because of my drawing, painting and sculpture background. I believe that clay surface should never a complimentary surface to the glaze decoration and never be completely covered by glaze (glass). There is a visual texture on the pottery surface that not only can be seen in drawings, paintings, and sculptures, but can be touched when unglazed. My forms are strong, meaningful, and purposeful forms and is a great surface to stamp or sculpt a design.  I believe that clay surface should be complimentary to the glaze decoration and not hidden with glaze. Many potters spend 90% their time making the form then give only 10% effort toward glazed surface treatment.  My forms are strong, meaningful, and purposeful .