kellye slate, a clay sculptor

     My surroundings consist of the oldest mountain ranges in the world, a fact which intensifies my awareness of their vulnerability.  I have spent my life in the Appalachian Mountains and have only begun to appreciate their serenity, protection, and beauty.  I took this landscape for granted until a recent visit to the West. While traveling in the Rocky Mountains, I was amazed by the vastness of the exposed rock formations. The experience made such an impression on me that when I returned home I found myself searching for other geological phenomena.  The natural rock faces I discovered here were largely hidden due to the abundance of vegetation that have accumulated over the millennia.  However, as I continue to search, I noticed entire areas of exposed rock which resulted from road building and other manifestations of the growth of society. Although these facades exposed by activity of man are beautiful to a degree, they embody a mysterious paradox.  It is ironic that their exposure is due to the destruction of a mountain.  These pieces were influenced by organic elements in nature, and reflect the complexities of this paradox.