OTIS REDDING, CERAMIC BENCHES AND SUCH

Finally getting back into the swing of things in the studio with a good amount of pots in the bisque kiln and the damp room. Working with new stacking methods for throwing jars, playing around with pour over coffee pots, and experimenting with some new forms/ lid systems for spice jars. The engineering involved in these kind of projects is always refreshing and generates change in my work - trying to come to terms with all the ideas I have outside the studio and what actually happens in the studio. I'm documenting my work in different stages so I can better assess what does and does not work (that means process shots coming soon).  With all this talk about change I think  it's appropriate  to throw Otis Redding's version of this Sam Cook song  into the mix.

In regards to documenting work in progress here are a few short video pieces that illustrate a number of different processes and deal with creatively applying technique. This first video is by the European design group Studio Glithero, who adapt a traditional method of shaping plaster used in the fabrication of interior wall molding. The installation entitled "Running Mould" took place in gallery space Z33 in Belgium and features their version of sliding mould on steroids.

And last but not least here is a beautiful video of  master craftsmen John Neeman forging one of my all time favorite objects, the axe.

RECENT WORK: MORE TO COME...

Here are just a few of the pots I made this summer during my independent study at Teachers College.

4TH NATIONAL JURIED CUP SHOW

Ok so i am about a month late on this blog post, better late then never i guess! Here is the show card for the 4th National Juried Cup exhibition at Barret  Clay Works, located in Poughkeepsie New York.

     The show opened on September 1st and is running until October 6th. The show was juried by Kala Stein, my former professor at Alfred University. I have two pieces in the show, the first is this mug on the right hand corner of the show card and the second is this little ode to America.

FUNERARY URN FOR CY TWOMBLY: IT'S A JOKE

PROCESS

Here are a few  in progress shots of the pots I'm working on. The clay is porcelain and the surfaces are a combination of colored slip and underglaze with a healthy amount of wax resisted etching.
I've decided to add this acid yellow to my pallet, which has been a bit of a challenge. On the technical side I've noticed that it likes to turn green only sometimes when on top of my blue slip, so that's probably an application issue that need to be sussed out.  Aesthetically the yellow slip can be overpowering and out of place, in particularl if I take it to far.

However, taking it to far seems to be the theme of my work this year and I think that's a good thing for now. I've decided to really try and make the kinds of pots that I want to make and that gets into my larger objective of being the kind of man I want to be.  For the past two years I've been the person I needed to be, the son I needed to be for both of my parents, the business partner and confidant my father needed. As of three weeks ago I am trying to be the person I want to be. I'm trying to wake up everyday and do what I need to do.

My first instinct was to wake up and roll right out of bed and into the studio. I found myself consumed with throwing as much as I possibly could and a week later I found myself with more unfinished greenware than I've ever had to deal with at the one time. While this gave me a great opportunity to experiment with different surface treatments and motifs, I found myself missing out on some of the informed decision making that comes out of the ceramic process; the ability to improvise based on what is happening in front of me.

 Everyday I work with clay I think back to my Junior Pots class with Linda Sikora and the great discussions she would lead. I remember her talking about Michael Simon one day (and this was at a time when I was really looking at his pots everyday and reading as much of his writing and writing about him as I could get my hands on) and she began to describe his daily practice.

Linda Sikora

Michael Simon

While most potters work in cycles of making specific forms i.e. today I'm going to throw 20 cups and 30 bowls, Simon would come in and produce a wide variety of forms every day. At the end of the day he would have a wide range of objects, all expanding on different forms and surfaces but at the same time sharing a common touch that held it together as one body of work. 

 That is how I want to work and while I am certainly no Michael Simon, this approach has been really helpful. I am making less work but making more progress. I'm taking risks, asking questions and accepting the consequences.

COMPOSITION

I walked into the studio this morning to find a sea of white porcelain forms waiting to be decorated.   Cups, bottles and pitchers are my canvas at the moment. Considering how involved my throwing and trimming processes are it always takes a bit of courage for me to make those first marks, setting the tone and establishing the frame work for my composition.  My forms are so loaded with information it can be overwhelming trying to apply a surface that works with and not against the sharp curves and horizontal banding that seems to be so present in my work these days.

So feeling a little stuck I decided to get a large cup of black ice coffee, go home, take out my sketch book and look at some artists whose compositions really work for me. Here’s where I’m at so far

Josh DeWeese- Platter

Untitled (Peonias series) by Cy Twombly

Ogata Kenzan- Japan, 17th century

 

JOHN FAHEY'S ACOUSTIC HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES