Andy Paiko is a Portland glass artist. He’s also getting recognition as someone who is pushing the limits of concept within a traditional craft field. Andy’s work stretches the notion of both what a functional object is and what it can be made out of: a glass hammer, a seismograph that wouldn’t survive the earthquake it measures, a spinning wheel that is more fragile than the material it processes. His use of material and concept betrays a simple irony between the two and pushes the work’s impact onto a more poetic level. Andy’s also a down to earth guy who doesn’t get too far ahead of himself. I hope you enjoy our conversation!

Diane Gilleland lives in Portland, OR but her online reach is far. An early adopter of blogs and podcasts, Diane has built a small empire of DIY craft teaching through e-books, podcasts, and online tutorials. Sister Diane is heavily invested in helping others bridge the gap between making, connecting, and marketing. Her podcast has covered everything from how to creatively reuse materials, building an online narrative through blogging to connect to an audience, and how important it is to just keep making. Diane and I come from different worlds that share a lot of parallels but meet up very rarely. Indie craft and Fine craft come from the same place, at least on an individual level: we all want/need to make things. But maybe that’s where the similarities end. There seems to be a mutual suspicion and lack of understanding between the two worlds. Diane and I address those issues, we talk about the work that she’s known for online, and how we look at a craft object. I really had a blast talking to Diane and I felt like this was just the first part of a much longer conversation. Enjoy!

Garth Johnson seems to be in a lot of places at once, and is somehow always at the point of convergence where art and ideas take place. Early on in Lincoln, NE he was involved in the local music scene, where he met friends who would later on connect him with LA comedy. Garth also has a life in acaedmia in Eureka, CA and is still able, no, make that willing, to keep connected to other, seemingly disparate non-academic movements (craftivism, Maker Faire, DIY). Garth is interested in the connections between people, material, and the importance of making. He’s written extensively about ceramics and craft and still manages to make his own work. The only thing that impresses me more than Garth’s ability to juggle so many things at once is the fact that he sees the ceramic world much differently than most who are invested in it: that there ought to be a lot less hand wringling about our place in the larger art world, that we are stronger than we think, and that we need to look outside of ourselves to really make creative inroads when it comes to concept and execution. He drops a lot of things to check out in this conversation, keep a notepad and pencil ready and check them out later on.
 

First Wednesdays are a series of special events for Museum of Contemporary Craft members and patrons of The Gallery. These events allow us to host our monthly featured artists with an intimate reception while providing our Museum audience and collectors with the opportunity for a first look at new work. Complimentary wine and refreshments will be offered, so be sure to stop in and say hello.

GALLERY FEATURE
Brian Jones

ARTIST RECEPTION

 Artist Talk 7pm

This juxtaposition complicates the reading of the work, slowing the comprehension and experience of what may appear to be a simple object. The pot’s domestic surroundings, the casual way in which it is constructed, and its surface against that of another material give the work a constructed and contemplative significance that will divulge its identity over time.

Three Consonants, One Vowel

Reception

Friday, March 30

6-9pm

4-8pm Thursday March 28-Saturday March 31 and by appointment

contact: brian@brianrjones.com

The work by Brian R. Jones presented in ‘Three Consonants, One Vowel’ is from a series that begins with the definition for alembic: 1. a vessel with a beaked cap or head, formerly used in distilling, or 2. anything that transforms, purifies, or refines.

The minimal wall mounted forms are abstractions of letters that transform as objects, and as narrative when they are dismantled and reassembled. Functional pottery is the point of departure for Jones, and leads him on an investigation to explore the pot’s transformative ability to function as a reservoir and an initiator of memories. Jones received his MFA degree from Southern Methodist University in Dallas. He lives and works in Portland, Oregon.

This exhibition coincides with the 46th NCECA (National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts) Annual Conference in Seattle, March 28 – March 31, 2012. Download the conference program (pdf).

a project space is conveniently located between the Washington State Convention Center downtown Seattle and the Seattle Design Center primary venues for exhibitions and conference events.
Click here to make arrangements to view ‘Three Consonants, One Vowel’ at a project space Wednesday-Saturday during the NCECA conference.

Hilary Pfeifer is a Portland artist who’s had a quite a number of successes over the years. She came by the house and we spent some time getting to know one another a bit better. I must say that I admire her ability to do well at what she does and her focus to get what she wants out of her work, both artistically and financially. We also get into a discussion about the merits of cuteness. Hilary is friendly and apporachable, much like her work which you can find here
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Here is a listing of the most recent Jonescasts from 2012. You can download new and back episodes on iTunes. Just search for Brian R. Jonescast.

Podcast #11

I went to college with this week’s guest, Penny Rakov. We’ve been able to catch up from time to time over the years and have followed each other’s careers. Penny’s been busy carving out her jewelry business with tenacity and focus. Her work is technically complex and pulls you right in. We talk business, getting respect from the big dogs, and making compromises with oneself in order to get what you want, among other things. Good talk. Check out her work!

Podcast #12

Among other things, Brian Giniewski’s work is concerned with the involvement of the hand in process, dumbing down work, and reorganizing how and who makes an object. He utilizes digital and traditional processes, photography, and context as tools to explore concepts. We spent some time talking about his past working on the wheel and his transition into making work that is removed from the traditional setting for functional pottery. We also talked about the idea of making work, the scope of American ceramics, and the line that is drawn between those who are interested in using clay as just a material and those who defend its history.

Podcast #13 part one/part two

I took the train up to Doylestown, PA to meet Lisa Naples at her studio and home. We had met back in 2004 when Lisa was a visiting artist at Ellen Shankin and Brad Warstler’s place during the Floyd, VA 16 hands tour. I saw Lisa again while I was in Philadelphia participating in the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show in 2010. Since then we’ve kept in touch here and there, mostly me asking her questions about establishing a local studio tour. In 2008 Lisa and her husband started Elephant’s Eye, a Bucks County studio tour that was fully realized when they initiated it. They have since cancelled the event to focus on other parts of their lives. Regardless, Lisa has maintained a vital studio practice and her work has changed both formally and conceptually since we first met. Our conversation stretches from how one finds their way with a chosen life path, sticking to it, selling work, welcoming challenges in the studio, and being open to experience events that can change your life. Since our talk was almost twice as long as usual I’ll be relasing it in two parts. The first part will be up on iTunes today, Friday, February 10th and the second will drop on Thursday the 16th. This is a good one.

Podcast #14

Jeff Guido is the artistic director at The Clay Studio in Philadelphia. For the past ten years he has guided the aesthetic and programming decisions as well as having a hand in choosing resident artists. We talk about Jeff’s background, his expectations for residents, the importance of the handmade, and an upcoming event that will help to push the importance of functional ceramics. Enjoy!

I appreciate the feedback and input, and I hope to produce engaging and timely episodes in 2012.

This project has really just gotten started, and I’m looking forward to the next few months of talking and recording. I’m planning on releasing dispatches from Philadelphia, Seattle, and Tennessee during next year, details to follow. New episodes of the Jonescast will be available bi-weekly beginning in January, along with a peppering of mini podcasts. The content of the Jonescast will also be a bit more varied in 2012: there will be panel interviews, conversations with writers, chefs, and non-art creative types. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for the exciting things I’ve got planned for the future!

Jonescast Episode #10

I spoke with JP Reuer back in October. He is the chair of the Applied Crafts and Design graduate program that is a joint effort between the Oregon College of Art and Craft and the Pacific Northwest College of Art. Hailing from North Carolina, JP has been guiding the new program since 2009. We spent time talking about what design/build means, the type of students who are attracted to the program, and expectations once they graduate. It seems to me that within the context of design/build there is a connection or closeness to an audience that provides a working relationship “with” and not “for.”

All of a sudden it’s almost Thanksgiving.

I’m never sure how that happens. October has apparently been shortened to four days, the New Year’s right around the corner, and I’m just pulling myself out of the weeds.

So, maybe that’s where I’ve been: overwhelmed in the studio with too much going on at home. The holidays are almost upon us, and I’m pushing to get work out now so that I can have a break from making ceramics during the month of December. I ordered a cord of wood for the winter, so I needed to build a lean-to against the house to make sure that it actually stayed dry this year. (That took a lot longer than I thought it would.) It’s all starting to come together though; the studio’s starting to get buttoned up, and the wood is dry.

I feel like I’ve been sitting on these conversations with Linda and Simon for too long now, hence the double-release. They’ve been hanging over my head taunting me to get them out and to let people know that they’re available. I’ve put aside concerns that those of you who do turn in won’t listen to so much at once and I have come to the conclusion that these podcasts will be available for a long time. There’s no real need to listen sequentially, no real reason to rush your listening experience.(That doesn’t apply to my need to get this stuff out.) If you haven’t listened to the first few Jonescasts, please do so.

And make sure to subscibe on iTunes!
Thanks guys.

I met Molly Hatch in Minneapolis for the American Pottery Festival last month. I had seen her work in a shop or two, but most of what I knew of her came from what I saw online. And that was a lot: she’s been in a number of shows, is being represented by an established gallery, and is booked out for the next few years. We spent some time talking about how quickly she’s gotten so much visibility and the obligations associated with that. We also talked about what “success” is and how that’s defined.
Good talk. I hope that you enjoy it.