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“Rollin’” references motion, activity, and energy. It has themes of time, mortality, and disintegration of the human body - all things Todd can relate to as an artist with cystic fibrosis. He also grew up in Cleveland and witnessed the disintegration of the rust belt, which influenced his work.
"Rollin" was created at a residency at the Red Lodge Clay Center in Red Lodge, Montana. It was made on the potter’s wheel for the first stage and then hand-built. The piece was then brought back to Cleveland to be glazed by a unique process that Todd invented, which involves ceramic stain, Todd’s special foaming glaze that off gasses and bubbles while being fired, and two regular colored glazes. After firing, the piece was sandblasted with a dry crater glaze to give the appearance of erosion over time. Todd is seeking to push the limits of ceramic materials; to innovate, experiment, and explore all of the possibilities that clay has to give.