Jay Hatfield

This work was completed at Florida Atlantic University during 2022-2025 while I was in the MFA Studio Arts program. My MFA exhibition was titled, “War Abstracted”.

‍ ‍“War Abstracted” encapsulates three years of artistic exploration at FAU.  It’s a response to contemporary conflicts, both global and domestic.  It’s neither a glorification nor a condemnation of war.  This exhibit reflects some of my experiences during the first Gulf War while engaging with broader themes of conflict and its impact.  Through a diverse range of materials and methods, this work navigates personal, political, and environmental issues, occasionally voicing a distinct perspective, hoping at times to challenge the viewer. 

My show for my BFA in Ceramics from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale was titled “Noted in Anthropomorphism” in 2000.

My first “legged musical character” came out of an exercise at Carl Sandburg College in Galesburg, IL. in 1995.  This was my first 2-D college art class.  The exercise was to draw a line continuously on a sheet of paper until the professor said, "Stop."  Then find something within that mess of lines.  I found a soldier carrying a weapon, but I told everyone it was a musician and their instrument.  At that time, three years had passed since getting out of the Marine Corps, and I still wasn’t willing to share my experience, or even talk about my service.

In 1999, Harris Deller challenged me during an intensive summer session to make something personal.  So, that summer I decided to create sculptural forms from the drawings and paintings I had developed from the continuous line exercise.  Through the years, I have continued revisiting and developing the subject matter.  And lately, the characters have moved from being soldiers to musicians.  I believe this is because of all the piano playing from Mara and the kids in our house. I look forward to continuing to develop this idea.

Here are a few ceramic sculptures with this theme created in 2019. Towards the end, you will find some old paintings from my BFA show. Do you see the soldiers from the 2000 paintings? I hope you enjoy.

These sculptures were created during my MFA studies at FAU from 2022 to 2025. The concept was a reaction to the unjust war against Ukraine by Putin.  It was a response to seeing hospitals, schools, cultural centers, and residential high rises being struck by missiles and or drones, and the mushroom cloud that follows.  The sculptures are a loose interpretation of structure and a mushroom cloud.  

At times, these sculptures become figurative, vessels of memories.  During the process of making, they become very personal, and I reflect on my experience in war and its brutality, and on the innocence caught in the web of war.  However, I hope I have taken that darkness, something I’m familiar with, and created something that sparks curiosity, reflects beauty, and maybe even a bit of splendor.  

Pablo Picasso: "No, painting is not interior decoration. It is an instrument of war for attack and defense against the enemy".

Jonathan Larson (Composer & Playwright): "The opposite of war is not peace: it is creation". 

I am curious about the form of a teapot as a sculpture. I try to engage the viewer and evoke curiosity by giving my teapots a gesture or suggest a mood. I do this by nontraditional placement and manipulation of the elements of the teapot: body, spout, handle, lid and foot. Some teapots have iconography, many being of the cityscape. The cityscape has always reminded me of a sonogram, buildings shooting skyward measuring the beat and rhythm of a city. The controlled chaos of a city is bewildering yet exciting. I take great pride in my finishes. I make all my own slips and glazes. That ability to make my own slips gives me a vast range of color opportunities. The color and application helps create the mood and ambience of the teapot. Most of my teapots are finished with a satin or matte glaze and fired 3-5 times.

Here are some from 2018 and 2019.

These plates and platters are designed for hanging.  Some are designed to hang on their own, and others are designed to hang as a set.  Some are accompanied by another material.  This material is intended to enhance the aesthetic or conceptual aspect.  As I develop my business, I want to partner with local interior designers to create wall reliefs and installations for new and existing construction projects.  I make all my own slips and glazes, which gives me the freedom to explore and create one-of-a-kind objects, unique to a project.

The “Gathering” exhibition was held by the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County in late 2021 and early 2022 celebrating the return to in person art experiences following the Covid pandemic.

My contribution was “We Gather” 16 porcelain platters ranging from 14” to 18” fired to cone 6

When I thought of the word “Gathering” I thought of the reasons we gather. Because we are in the times of Covid I also considered the gatherings we missed and or took for granted before Covid. This installation reflects some of the reasons we gather. Fourteen of these platters reflect the question, “What do we gather for?”; and two platters “What do we gather to do?”.

My answers to those two questions are on these 16 platters. The replies are supported with a word, imagery, text, and surface treatments to suggest mood, ambience, and message. The messages are a mixture of sadness, sarcasm, anger, uncertainty, faith, mystery, joy, beauty, triumphs, and love. The surface treatments consist of incising, inlaying, stamping, slips, glazing, and decaling.

I like the challenge of utilitarian ware. The challenge is balancing form and function, and within that, respecting tradition. Yet sometimes I like pushing the boundaries, tipping the balance, and touching on our emotions and sensitivities.

I like making multiples or sets; this builds my skill level. Making something that will work well, last long, and hopefully enjoyed or even cherished is my goal in making functional pottery.

Custom orders are appreciated and considered for restaurants, weddings, businesses, and homes. Designers and event coordinators are welcome!

The media is acrylic on canvas with woodblock ink overlay.   It's a process that I started early 2014.