Johannes Nagel

 “It is not the perfection of the ultimate expression that is my intention but to verbalize a concept of the evolution of things.”

Johannes Nagel is known for unique pieces that blur the lines between functional pottery and works of art. His work is described as intensely sculptural, visually arresting and powerful. The artist brings into play a variety of making techniques such as throwing, hand building and sand‐casting, an instinctive technique that leaves much up to chance. Nagel uses his hands to determine final forms; stacking components, carving and gouging, leaving fissures and unpainted elements. His work juxtaposes smooth and brittle textures and angular and smooth forms, he introduces gaps between components and intentionally disrupts areas of glazing. For Nagel, all this serves to explore the evolution of things and enables him to expose the making process.

Of Potential Vessel 1, Nagel has commented: “A vessel has as its reference its own stylistic history and the function. To conserve, or serve out or to present certain content, is an orientation towards basic human needs. The manufacture of vessels is a self‐evident cultural technique for all of mankind, and analogous to the role of the figure in sculpture, we can maintain that the ritual is the concrete opposite of the vessel. And so the ‘vessel’ can today be a theme, in which function and ritual, our own history and the future may be reflected.”