Free Bird
Faculty Mentor
Chris Tyllia
Presentation Type
Creative Work
Start Date
4-13-2026 4:30 PM
End Date
4-13-2026 6:30 PM
Location
Art Building
Primary Discipline of Presentation
Art
Abstract
Free Bird is a ceramic vase that explores how imagery and form can communicate emotion through a functional vessel. Working in clay as both tradition and language, I use the vessel as a surface for personal reflection and to provoke emotional questioning in the viewer. This piece investigates how simple natural imagery can reflect emotional hardship, using rain, muted surroundings, and a solitary bird to suggest feelings of being trapped, weighed down, and searching for release. The vase was wheel-thrown and finished through trimming on the wheel, a repetitive and physically engaged ceramic process. Its bowl-like opening developed through experimentation as I explored a bodily form that opens itself toward the sky. The vessel is decorated with a blue bird, a tree, clouds, and large blue raindrops painted in underglaze and finished with a clear glaze. The imagery wraps around the vessel, creating an almost unending scene. Through these elements, Free Bird reflects the tension between confinement and the desire for freedom. The heavy rain and still atmosphere suggest emotional weight, while the presence of the bird introduces the possibility of movement and escape. The piece invites viewers to reflect on moments of struggle, vulnerability, and the hope of eventually finding release.
Recommended Citation
Flitton, Josie, "Free Bird" (2026). 2026 Symposium. 6.
https://dc.ewu.edu/srcw_2026/cw_2026/art_2026/6
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Free Bird
Art Building
Free Bird is a ceramic vase that explores how imagery and form can communicate emotion through a functional vessel. Working in clay as both tradition and language, I use the vessel as a surface for personal reflection and to provoke emotional questioning in the viewer. This piece investigates how simple natural imagery can reflect emotional hardship, using rain, muted surroundings, and a solitary bird to suggest feelings of being trapped, weighed down, and searching for release. The vase was wheel-thrown and finished through trimming on the wheel, a repetitive and physically engaged ceramic process. Its bowl-like opening developed through experimentation as I explored a bodily form that opens itself toward the sky. The vessel is decorated with a blue bird, a tree, clouds, and large blue raindrops painted in underglaze and finished with a clear glaze. The imagery wraps around the vessel, creating an almost unending scene. Through these elements, Free Bird reflects the tension between confinement and the desire for freedom. The heavy rain and still atmosphere suggest emotional weight, while the presence of the bird introduces the possibility of movement and escape. The piece invites viewers to reflect on moments of struggle, vulnerability, and the hope of eventually finding release.
