Sifu Berchtold

My life is a spiritual journey marked by rhythms and cycles. Breathing in, breathing out, day and night, seasons coming and going, cycling through various phases of life, birth and death.

For the past twenty-five years I worked as a studio potter creating pieces to be used in the rhythm of daily life. A handmade piece of pottery is unique and hopefully inspires the user to cherish life’s precious moments with the same focus that was used to create it. I am nourished by the idea of making useable art from clay which comes from the spinning, cycling planet we live on.

I still work with clay but my focus has shifted to making more sculptural work. This kind of work is far more challenging because it requires more intent listening to my inner voice. Stephen De Staebler (1933-2011) expressed it this way: “It is because we have bodies that extend from our minds and spirit that we need to find a way to express the inside on the outside.”

My journey in making art has continued through exploring new materials. I started working with metal, different kinds of paints, recycled and found objects. The idea of using discarded computers, furniture in need of repair, clay shards or glass pieces that have been tumbling in the ocean intrigues me. This “stuff” brings with it memories of other people’s lives, their rhythms and at times their experiences.

I make my home in the mountains where the rhythms of the earth are present every day. The seasons are visible through the leaves emerging from the trees, the birds passing through on their migration south or a late snow covering my surroundings under a white blanket. All this beauty of my environment stands in stark contrast to all the new technology that seems to be encroaching increasingly on my natural world.  I have made several attempts at bringing these opposing forces into harmony. I believe that working with discarded objects is one way to find some resolution or new understanding to this dilemma.

As I get older and get to look back on more of my life I again realize that my art is intricately connected with my world. I look forward to what I will learn from making more art and how well I will be able to enjoy many more precious moments.