What Art Is… What is Art…

Loren Lukens Puget Sound in background

My porcelain pottery is for functional use on the table or aesthetic use on the wall.  I create objects which fulfill both an aesthetic and utilitarian function and become part of peoples’ lives on a daily basis.  My forms are extensions of traditional pottery with contemporary variations. They are strong, sleek and sculptural with a bold painterly surface and rich glaze treatment.  The pieces have a crisp impact when viewed from a distance as well as an intensity of detail up close. 

Loren and his wife, Beth Kirchhoff, hold up the world single handedly.

My love affair with clay began in the early 1970’s as an undergraduate art  student at a small Midwest liberal arts college.  Counterculture influences and my farm boy background combined to make a career in pottery an appealing synthesis of practicality, art, and craft husbandry. Beth Kirchhoff, my wife of 35 years, is a musician (pianist, accompanist, chorus master).  We enjoy comparing the similarities of our chosen careers.  Each discipline requires a blend of skill, determination, talent and artistic intent.  The respect, understanding and interpretation of traditional forms (pottery or music) are clear priorities for each of us.