Michael Boroniec subverts the age-old conception of pots and vases as useful vessels of containment with his sculptural ceramics. The artist began his spiral motif in 2008 with a focus on teapots, and the style has since become the predominant theme of his body of work. Boroniec forms each vessel on his potter’s wheel, and then carefully slices through the still-soft clay to deconstruct the traditional shape.

He describes his intention behind these deconstructions in a recent Instagram post“This process reveals aspects of the vase that most rarely encounter. Within the walls, maker’s marks become evident and contribute to the texture. The resultant ribbon effect, reminiscent of a wheel trimming, lends fragility, elegance, and motion to a medium generally perceived as hard and heavy. This emphasizes a resistance of gravity, allowing negative space to unravel and become part of the form.”

Michael Boroniec (born 1983 in Pittsfield, Massachusetts) is an American sculptor who resides and works in Berkshire County, Massachusetts.

Boroniec’ primary medium is ceramic; other media include painting, printmaking, experimental, and time based art. His work is a journalistic approach, a photograph or chronograph of time, primarily focusing on materials and the direct relationship to the viewer, location, and society. During the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, Boroniec created a collection of pieces titled “Crude Awakening” that includes terra cotta sculptures of birds covered in oil and a silk screened American flag portrayed by motor oil on canvas.

Boroniec studied at the Rhode Island School of Design and now lives and works in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. He is represented by Lyons Wier Gallery, where his work is on view in a group exhibition through April 28, 2018. You can see more of his work on tumblr and InstagramMark Cantin and Cat Burt also directed and produced a short film about Boroniec, which you can view below.

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