Biography |
Lewis Stetson Rowles is a ceramic artist and environmental engineer currently living in Austin, TX. He holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from University of South Carolina and a M.S. in Environmental Engineering from UT Austin. Ceramics first found him in high school where he took several classes. He continued to take ceramic courses throughout college at USC. In 2010, he help to start a pottery program for special needs adults at Programs for Exceptional People (PEP) Hilton Head, SC. In 2011, he completed a summer assistantship at La Meridiana International School of Ceramics in Tuscany, Italy. Currently, he is pursuing a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from UT Austin with a focus on water treatment. His research is on the incorporation of novel nanomaterials into ceramic water filters. His technical scientific research compliments his ceramic art because the motivation of each is to improve the quality of life through functionality.
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Artist Statement |
The functionality of pottery influences my creative process. During the production of pottery, I think about the users relationship to the piece, e.g., the feeling of a cup's rim on the lips, the way the fingers grasp a mug's handle, a jar's storage capacity. I constantly observe people's interaction with objects. I strive to make that interaction more visually pleasant, while meeting the utilitarian need. My work meshes appearance with purpose to find a balance between form and function.
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