ESTER BECK
KFAR-SHMARYAHU, ISRAEL
Ester Beck, in her studio in Kfar-Shmaryahu, Israel
Ester Beck, Natural Causes-1, DATE. Stoneware and porcelain, 43cm H.
Ester Beck, Natural Causes-2, DATE. Stoneware and porcelain, 36cm H
I have my studio in my backyard, so I could access it easily during this Coronavirus lockdown. I was lucky to have stocked up with clay in time. I felt two things from the beginning: routine through the day would be very important, and continuing to work would be paramount. I started by recycling all the leftover clays I had and making a whole series of small abstract “rock bowls.” This was a meditative process, which took my mind off thinking about the elusive dangers confronting us, and kept me from throwing myself into bigger projects that my mind wasn't yet free to explore.
After two weeks of this regime, something opened up: this feeling of “Now you have all this calm time with no distractions—it’s a rare opportunity. Go for it, do what you haven’t done before. Be daring!” New works emerged, dynamic and free. It felt great, and my mind was totally absorbed in it. Corona isolation has actually energized me, made me feel even more alive, and it has made me appreciate how lucky we ceramists are to have this obsession—this drive to explore our work. Doing and reflecting and focusing and keeping the wheels turning. And communicating with our colleagues.
During the lockdown, ESTER BECK found ‘CORONA isolation’ surprisingly energizing: It enabled her to produce new work with a sense of freedom.
Ester Beck, Natural Causes, Corona Bowls, 2020. 19 cm average diameter
Ester Beck, Natural Causes, Corona Bowls, 2020. 19 cm average diameter.
Ester Beck, Natural Causes, Corona Vase, 2020. 56cm H x 30 cm W
Ester Beck, Natural Causes, Corona Vase 2020 55cm H x 38 cm W