Danielle Hawk

About the Artist

Danielle Hawk was born in Baltimore, Maryland. In 2016 she received a Bachelors of Science in Art Education and General Fine Arts from Towson University. She is currently teaching high school visual arts for Baltimore County Public Schools and persuing her MFA from Towson University. 

Artist's Statement

I am interested in indeterminate outcomes; I shifted my classroom from project-based learning to student-based inquiry and found that my students were more successful and engaged when I removed the stipulation of what the end project had to be or resemble. I input the necessary skills and they output their interpretation of those skills. I have translated this philosophy to my studio practice. I find conceptual and aesthetic interest in focusing on the process rather than the end product, allowing the material to respond to my actions independently of my expectations. The process of letting go began slowly, by incorporating slip and bone dry 'rocks'. Slip was applied during the trimming process and allowed to fall over the vessel without redirection. Then rocks were thrown or blown into the slip. My process has since evolved to selecting inputs to apply to the materials. Inputs are selected from multiple categories including color, form, cut, and assembly. The product yielded is a direct result of the inputs selected. Each pair experiences identical inputs but produces diverse outcomes. I intend to continue removing myself from the outcome and restrict my decision making to the development of inputs. I strive to discover the importance of my role in the process. When should my hand intervene, and when should my hand be a tool?