Bobby Silverman on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast

This week on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with ceramic artist Bobby Silverman. Throughout his multifaceted career he has been an educator, designer and maker. He currently manages Alsio Design, a Brooklyn based company that produces ceramic tile for residential and commercial markets.

In the interview we talk about the pros and cons of higher education, developing a ceramic design company, and the relevance of the traditional pot in contemporary society. For more information on Bobby please visit www.alsiodesign.com.

To subscribe to the Red Clay Rambler podcast on iTunes please click here. To add the podcast to your Stitcher Radio on Demand Playlist click here. You can also stream the latest episode on the podcast tab for this site.

Bobby was trained as a social geographer and references data sets in his surface patterns. The tile above is a data visualization of the won/loss record of the Arizona Diamondback’s 2006 season. I got to see the tile pictured below come out of the kiln while Bobby was working at the Archie Bray this summer. You can see just how big a 36 by 22 inch tile is from how the tile rests in the kiln.

Tara Wilson on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast

This week on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with wood fire potter Tara Wilson. The fly ash patterns on her functional pottery often reference the worn surfaces of geologic formations while her altered forms display a sense of volume often found in the animal world. She says of the work, "The rich surfaces of the vessels represent the natural world. Nature also inspires form, in some cases quite literally, as river rocks become saucers. Other pieces speak of this passion more subtly. Bases reference the landscape, evoking a sense of space and awareness of the land. Parallels can be drawn between geological processes and the atmospheric firing process. Pots physically capture and record their firing process similar to the way sedimentary and metamorphic rocks speak of their history."

In the interview we talk about putting down roots, sustaining a career, and wood firing as a way to build community. To find out more about her work please visit her website www.tarawilsonpottery.com. You can find Tara on Instagram at @teadubpottery and on Facebook under Tara Wilson.

To subscribe to the Red Clay Rambler podcast on iTunes please click here. To add the podcast to your Stitcher Radio on Demand Playlist click here. You can also stream the latest episode on the podcast tab for this site.

I visited Tara's studio this summer and marveled over this vase. It was fired in the kiln at Watershed Center for Ceramic Arts where Tara did a residency this summer. The surface has no glaze or slip but is covered with black metallic crystals that surround the wad marks. Amazing and surprising surface for a wood kiln. 

American Craft interview at the American Pottery Festival

I did short interview with Julie Hanus from American Craft in the run up to this year's American Pottery Festival. To read the interview click here. The festival officially opened last night with a boisterous preview party and collector's viewing. Workshops and lectures start today and will continue through the weekend. For more information on the festival click here.

There are so many good pots at this year's festival. I have already picked out a few that will be added to my collection. One of the highlights so far has been seeing Andy Brayman's pots in person. His aesthetic is firmly of the digital age. Love the way he down scales his decaled decoration to reframe the way you perceive the size of the forms.



I'll be co-presenting a demonstration and talk called "Regional Foods/Regional Forms" with Josh Copus and executive chef Paul Berglund at 11:15. During the discussion Paul will choose a number of pots from the gallery to talk about how they might function well in the kitchen/dining room at his very hip restaurant The Bachelor Farmer. The group will focus on the farm-to-table movement and how ceramics can be used to accentuate the dining experience.

At 3:30 I will be moderating a panel on Mentorship and Influence with Linda Arbuckle, Alleghany Meadows, and Doug Casebeer. I have gathered these artists together to expand on how they have benefited from casual one-on-one learning situations. This will be recorded and podcast later in the year. Looking forward to a full day of pottery and shop talk. Come on out if you are in the Minneapolis area.

Mel Griffin on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast

This week on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with ceramic artist Mel Griffin. Her functional pottery and large scale tile work use animal and landscape imagery to talk about human behavior and the way we relate to our surroundings. She says of the work, "Making and drawing allow me to investigate fluid and profound relationships between the body, handmade objects, and landscape, both inside the home and out in the world. Through imagery and metaphor, line and clay, I am exploring the manner in which corporeal experience, mindfulness, memory, and mood combine to create meaning in both everyday and imagined environments."

In the interview we talk about the roots of creativity, incorporating sport as a component of an artistic life and the animal side of human behavior. To find out more about her work please visit her website www.melgriffin.com.

To subscribe to the Red Clay Rambler podcast on iTunes please click here. To add the podcast to your Stitcher Radio on Demand Playlist click here. You can also stream the latest episode on the podcast tab for this site.

Mel has recently started making large scale tile landscapes composed of animals in fantasy landscapes that reference 19th century naturalist drawings. I enjoyed the way she manipulates scale to recontextualize the significance of the animals in their landscape. The "land before time" landscape above features a massive butterfly that rivals the scale of the neighboring song bird.

Chris Pickett on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast

This week on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with ceramic artist Chris Pickett. His slab built pottery consists of inflated sculptural volumes decorated with saturated colors and low relief patterning. He says of the work, "With the appearance of being freshly constructed, the fullness of form allows these vessels to evoke a sense of play and ease. The generous volumes are metaphors for our own bodies that reference both the comforts of physical intimacy as well as childlike items, such as toys and stuffed animals."

In the interview we talk about utility vs. function, the power of habit, and the influence mid-century modern furniture has on Chris's aesthetic. For more information on his work please visit www.chrispickettceramics.com. Chris and I will open an exhibition and offer a workshop this weekend September 6th and 7th at Red Star Studios in Kansas City, MO. For more information please visit www.redstarstudios.org

To subscribe to the Red Clay Rambler podcast on iTunes please click here. To add the podcast to your Stitcher Radio on Demand Playlist click here. You can also stream the latest episode on the podcast tab for this site.