Ceramic Cods

Item Description

Title & Artist:  "The Kirsten Cod" – by Kirsten Bassion

Medium & Size:  Dark brown stoneware with a porcelain slip layer, cone 6 oxidation.  20" L x 8 1/2" H x 1 1/2" D.  For indoor or outdoor display.

Artist Statement:  I create functional pottery for daily use, so making a codfish was a fun project! The work I usually do is intended to catch the eye through the use of bright colors and intricate patterns. I aim to satisfy the user through generous forms and tactile surfaces.

Spanish/Islamic tiles and pottery have strongly influenced my work since I lived in Spain when I was 16 as an exchange student. The influence this had on me can be seen in the patterns and colors I have chosen to use on my work. Also, for years I was a quilter, and that has strongly informed how I divide up the surface of my form. Most of my pieces are wheel-thrown while others are hand-built, but all are painted with underglaze designs. They are stamped with a series of hand-carved stamps that I have created in rubber, clay, and plaster. The work is finished in a cone 5 oxidation kiln with a bold palette of glazes.

My hope is that the final product is one that is visually stimulating and comfortable to use, and embodies a playful spirit. I have strived to create work that I enjoy making and that is fun to share with others. The joy of being a potter is sharing a piece of yourself through your work.

Artist Biography:  Kirsten Bassion received her MFA in Ceramics from The School for American Crafts at Rochester Institute of Technology in 2004. She graduated cum laude with her bachelor's degree from Skidmore College in 1997 with a major in Studio Art. Kirsten has been a visiting artist at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, the College of William and Mary, Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in Halifax, Canada, and La Fundación Josep Llorens Artigas in Barcelona, Spain.

Kirsten is the owner of The Clay School in Lynn, MA, where for the last eight years she has been making her own work and teaching classes for both adults and children. During the year, The Clay School offers more than six classes a week for adults and many summer classes for both adults and children. It has grown into a wonderful and creative place for North Shore residents to experience the artistic side of ceramics.

Kirsten's work is shown in galleries throughout the country, including locally at the Society of Arts and Crafts on Newbury Street in Boston, the Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton, MA, and the Marblehead Arts Association. You can also see her every year demonstrating on the pottery wheel at the Marblehead Farmer's Market. She has recently been a judge for the Marblehead Festival of Arts, the Marblehead Arts Association, and Rochester Institute of Technology's School for American Crafts NCECA Show. Kirsten resides in Marblehead with her husband and two daughters.

Hosting Business:  "The Kirsten Cod" is on display at Dandee Donut Factory, 123 Pleasant St., Marblehead, MA.

Item Special Note

Pick-up of purchased cods will be on Tuesday evening, July 5. Winning bidder will receive a notification email with information on pick-up time and location.

If winning bidder requires shipping, winner's credit card will be charged a separate $24.95 fee to cover USPS ground and handling. Shipping is available within the U.S. only and must be requested within 7 days after receipt of the notification email.

Any cod purchased via "Buy Now" will remain on display at the hosting business through the end of the auction, and will be available for pick-up as detailed in the winning bidder notification email.

If winning bidder has not picked up cod (or provided shipping address) within 30 days after the close of the auction, cod will become the property of Marblehead Festival of Arts, Inc.

Click here to see the other decorated cods up for bid in our Cods of a Different Color online auction!

To learn more about the Marblehead Festival of Arts, visit www.marbleheadfestival.org.
To make a tax-deductible donation, visit www.marbleheadfestival.org/donations.