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Typographic Expressions in Ceramic Art
TYPORAMICS
Contents Amber Aguirre
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Frances Brosnan
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Steve Allen
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Matthew Causey
51
David Ashby
27
Liz Crain
57
Lesley Baker
33
Alfredo Eandrade
63
Mariana Baquero
39
Marie Gibbons
69
75
Michelle Hamilton
105
Kathy King
81
Steve Hansen
111
Nancy Kubale
87
Holly Hanessian
117
Kris Leach
93
Ruan Hoffmann
123
Gayla Lemke
99
Robyn Hosking
129
Jordi Marcet & Rosa Vila–Abadal
Jason Messinger
135
Vijay Paniker
165
Lilianne Milgrom
141
Mariko Paterson
171
Connie Norman
147
Scott Rench
177
Graciela Olio
153
Red Weldon Sandlin
183
Jeanne Opgenhaffen
159
Michael Schmidt
189
195
Nancy Selvin
225
Mitchell Spain
201
Suzanne Sidebottom
231
Evelyn Tannus
207
Kevin Snipes
237
Shalene Valenzuela
213
Forrest Snyder
243
Sharon Virtue
219
Jasna Sokolovic
249
Marek Zyga
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TYPORAMICS the thesis
TYPORAMICS
11 Foreword by the author. Can two–dimensional typography find a place of convergence with three–dimensional ceramic art? I had no doubt, when I had to choose a thesis project for my Master’s in Graphic Design, that I would draw on what I know. Having a BFA in Ceramics and a BA in Spanish Literature, I obviously have a deep love of clay and a love of words. My thesis had to involve the things that I am passionate about and truly love. As a ceramic artist myself, I sometimes use typography to further convey the meaning in my pieces, and I have become increasingly curious about how other artists employ type in their own ceramic work. Typography is usually thought of as a two–dimensional form—as something that cannot be touched or felt. Ceramics, on the other hand, is a very physical and tactile medium. But when these two apparently divergent mediums meet, magic happens. Typoramics surveys the amazing possibilities of the convergence of typography with ceramic artwork. Through this project, I hope to educate, to inspire, and to encourage ceramic artists to start using type in their artworks. I would like Typoramics to become the go–to place where ceramic artists who use typography can showcase their work, and where other people—inside and beyond the ceramic community—can learn about the beauty of type in the three–dimensional world of clay. I hope you like this little taste of the possibilities of my thesis project: Typoramics.
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Dissolution Series: Hypocrite Height: 19" | Width: 3.5" | Depth: 3.5" Earthenware 2013
Dissolution Series: Ignoble
Enjoy! Flora
Height: 19" | Width: 5" | Depth: " Earthenware 2013
Dissolution Series: Evil Height: 16.5" | Width: 5.5" | Depth: 5" Earthenware 2013
Dissolution Series: Liar Height: 15" | Width: 3.5" | Depth: 3.5" Earthenware 2013
TYPORAMICS
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TYPORAMICS the project
TYPORAMICS
Amber AGUIRRE United States
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TYPORAMICS
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Portrait of the Artist Sculpting Herself Height: 19" | Width: 15" | Depth: 11" 2013 Stoneware, Stains, Glazes, Naked Fauxku this page
No Side Effects Height: 19" | Width: 15" | Depth: 21" 2014 Stoneware, Stains, Glazes, Wire, Glass
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Amber Aguirre
“I often show the negative experiences, not as a comment on the bad in humanity so much as to humor, mock, and cajole us to accept our imperfections and fix the faults that we may see within us.”
H
istory plays an important role in Amber Aguirre's thoughtful ceramic artwork.
Aguirre's interest in the past has much to do with her own background, since she is the child of a Holocaust survivor. Her artwork is filled with things that she is passionate about bringing to light for necessary discussion. Aguirre is not shy to tackle fear, cruelty, apathy, and even death in her work: she forces the viewer to think about major social issues. By looking back into history, Amber Aguirre's work, presents a much–needed new kind of dialogue.
TYPORAMICS
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Amber Aguirre
Do you have any graphic design background? I took a course when I was getting my bachelor’s degree that covered some aspects of graphic design, but not much. When did you start combining typography into your work? I have always used small amounts of typography on certain sculpture pieces as needed. Why do you use typography as part of your ceramic artwork? I sometimes use typography because often it is the best way to showcase something that may not be as easy to communicate using sculpture alone. Is your use of typography communicative or decorative? It is always communicative. There's nothing like certain words to create an idea in a viewer’s mind. Words resonate in our culture in a way that nothing else does. As a culture we have relationships with certain words that create images and lasting memories. For example, about 10 years ago, I made a sculpture with the words “Duck and Cover” on it. These words resonate among people my age. A whole generation of kids was raised knowing that those words meant you had to hide under your school desk because of a nuclear attack, or the possibility of happening. When a person of my generation hears those words it evokes memories and feelings of being a kid in school and having to do the “drill.” As we (as a generation) grew up we realized how futile and silly this drill was. If a nuclear weapon were actually dropped, we would certainly not be saved by hiding under our desks. So these simple words evoke a slew of feelings in people who had to go through this drill. What is your technique in applying type to your artwork? I usually use rubber stamps. They come in a variety of fonts so I can always choose a design to create a particular feeling. Your artwork is full of social commentary along with witty humor. Do you think that typography is important in order to understand your work?
Much of my work would stand alone without typography, and I don’t use it in all my work, but when I choose to use it, is to emphasize a particular idea. Some art pieces really need that emphasis to direct the viewer’s mind to certain ideas. To use the example of the Duck and Cover piece, the message I was trying to get across would work without the typography, but that particular phrase written on the bomb takes it a deeper level and serves to help the viewer feel the meaning of the art. Where do you get inspiration for you ceramic work? My inspiration usually comes from events that surround me in society. The news is one of my favorite sources because when I watch the news on TV, I usually end up yelling at the TV about topics that I want to say something about. What do you take into account when creating a new piece? Color? Type? Context? Concept? All of my work has a particular “Style” and when I have an idea, it naturally ends up looking like my other work. I always use a white bodied clay that shows the Naked “Fauxku” technique in striking contrast. I use limited color, and if I choose to use type, the style of the type depends on the words/message. Do you think typography is important in order to understand your artwork? When used, it is a vital and necessary component of overall work. It is important to getting my message across. What is your favorite typeface? It depends on what feelings I am trying to convey. For example, in Duck and Cover I used a stencil typeface because I wanted it to look as if the words were spray painted on the bomb, as it would be done by the military.
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The Judgment Height: 18" | Width: 14" | Depth: 11" 2013 Stoneware, Glazes, Stains, Naked Fauxku
Hanging Around Height: 10.5" | Width: 7" | Depth: 3.3" 2012 Porcelain, Stains, Glazes,Naked Fauxku
TYPORAMICS
Steve ALLEN United States
21
TYPORAMICS
S
teve Allen's artwork combines machine–influenced precision along with self–expression.
He draws artistic inspiration from his dual background as machinist and potter. Along with his interest in the passing of time, rusty equipment, old abandoned places, and the deterioration of things and structures, this background allows him to create pieces that are abstract in quality yet tangible in idea. Steve Allen's artwork, a combination of color and metal, of abstraction and reality, is the result of the perfect mix of past and future.
23 Steve Allen
“I like glazes that have a toxic appearance and formulate them to resemble aged, rusted or painted metal further separating the work from any customary function.�
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SMA Tile Height: 10" | Width: 11" | Depth: 0.75" 2011 Stoneware opposite page
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SFC Tile Height: 10" | Width: 10.5" | Depth: 1" 2011 Stoneware this page
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SFC Chamber Height: 38" | Width: 20" | Depth: 20" 2011 Stoneware
64 Vase Height: 10" | Width: 7" | Depth: 7" 2011 Stoneware
TYPORAMICS
25 Steve Allen
Do you have any graphic design background? No, I don't have a background in graphic design. When did you start combining typography into your work? I started around 2005 with a piece called Collective Consciousness and a series of books pieces that had titles on their spines. I soon started adding typography to the pages of open books like Allowances and Tolerances. Why do you use typography as part of your ceramic work? I am more of a visual person, and find that I’m more interested in shape, color, composition, etc. But I noticed that others, who are avid readers, become more engaged with artwork when text is used. They can’t help themselves. When text is used, they stops to read. Is your use of typography communicative or decorative? I would say it is more communicative in the majority of my work. For example, History of War has an open book on top that has information about all wars since 1900. In some cases it can function as both communicative and decorative, as in the art piece American Pastime. What is your technique in applying type to your artwork? I use a variety of techniques. My earlier pieces were done by using a tool to make impressions in the clay. In later works I used a silk screening technique to screen directly on the clay. I have also used a screened newsprint transfer technique, or screened directly over a glaze. You seem to like to play with bold single words in stencil fonts. Some of words are even be cropped out from the work itself. Is there a particular reason for that choice? I believe you are referring to my paintings and some of my ceramic artworks in the same series, Play and Prosper. These three, when put together, state one of my mottoes: “Play in clay and prosper.” The bold stencil is used for a couple reasons. The Rust Belt Series is inspired by old rusted equipment that often has text that has been stenciled on the side of equipment, a building, or storage tanks. So the bold stencil is intended to reference this directly. It is also a more convenient method for my painting or slipping technique where I cut the lettering from card stock and then use it to paint or apply a slip in thick coats. I also like the impact of the large bold lettering. The
cropping out of the work is intended to give the word greater impact by suggesting it is too big to be contained by the work itself. I also like how some words when cropped could suggest more than one word or multiple meanings, or how an acronym can refer to something, as in SFC Chamber. For me, SFC stands for my website, SFclay. It can also be autobiographical with my initials, “SMA”, my birth year, “64”, or my birthday, May 5. Is typography important in order to understand your work and to have those points to come across to the viewer? Actually, in many cases, no. Some of the criticism I received in grad school was that the meaning of my work was too direct and obvious. The text further adds to that criticism. However, in the paintings and some of the tile work, it is much more important, and adds another layer to the work which is less direct or obvious. Where do you get inspiration for your artwork? The book series came from an extended period of education, a thirst for knowledge, and the importance of the written word. Later works were inspired by news media, magazines, and advertisements. Paintings are inspired by the rust belt images resulting from neglected industrial sites, relating back to growing up on a small farm with rusted old equipment used on the farm. My steampunk series refers to my previous career as machinist/quality director in the manufacturing industry. What do you take into account when creating a new piece? Color? Type? Context? Concept? All of the above. Concept is first, followed by context. Both will typically dictate the type and color used. What is your favorite typeface? I choose the typeface based on the project I am working on. If I am looking for a bold impact for my paintings, I typically choose the bold stencil. For the ceramic work, it is often taken directly from what I am referencing, as in the piece Oxygen, or the money in Counterfeit.
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Play Height: 11" | Width: 11" | Depth: 2" 2011 Porcelain
In Height: 13" | Width: 13" | Depth: 3" 2011 Stoneware
Prosper Height: 12" | Width: 12" | Depth: 3.5" 2011 Stoneware
TYPORAMICS
David ASHBY United Kingdom
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TYPORAMICS
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Mugs Height: 3.5" | Width: 4" 2013 Earthenware, Wax Resist, Colored Slip this page
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Vases Height: 8.5" | Width: 3.5" aprox. 2014 Earthenware, Wax Resist and Colored Slip
Sugar Pots Height: 5" | Width: 4" aprox. 2014 Earthenware, Wax Resist and Colored Slip opposite page
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Bowls Height: 3.5" | Width: 15.5" 2013 Earthenware, Wax Resist, Colored Slip
29 David Ashby
D
avid Ashby's functional ware is influenced by his love of collage, graffiti and abstract paintings.
The beauty of Ashby's work is that although his pieces are unquestionably functional, they are also pieces of art with their own voices and means of dialoguing with the viewer. At first glance, Ashby’s work may seem strictly functional, but much lies beneath his surfaces.
“I like to know that people are using something I made from scratch and is unique in their everyday life.”
TYPORAMICS
31 David Ashby
Do you have any graphic design background? Unfortunately, I don’t have a graphic design background. When did you start combining typography into your work? About eight years ago, when I was developing a new range of ceramic artwork. Why do you use typography as part of your ceramic art? I like writing as a form of mark–making. I have always been interested in art that contains writing, such as the artwork of artist like Basquiat, Rauschenberg, or Harland Miller. Is your use of typography communicative or decorative? It is mainly decorative, but I enjoy the idea of talking to the person who is buying a piece and taking it to their home. What is your technique in applying type to your artwork? I use sgraffito, lead printing letters, or free hand painting with colored slip. Utilitarian ware seems to play a central role in the form and meaning of your artwork . Why is that? I like to know that people are using something I made from scratch that is unique in their everyday life, especially mugs; an item we use everyday for comfort, warmth, or relax. Is typography important in order to understand your work? No, I’m mainly interested in typography as a mark –making. Where do you get inspiration for your artwork? I look at abstract paintings and collage art from artists such as Rauschenberg or Tàpies for composition. The writing comes from everyday life. I found some great graffiti text tags on walls. Radio, books, and plain conversations are inspirational too. How do you approach the creation of new artwork? When I make a new piece I’ve always got in mind its purpose and the fact that someone will have to live with it. I am a happy and uncomplicated person and I like my artwork to be that way; I want it to be truthful to me, to be a bit cheeky, to be well made and well designed, and completely unique. What is your favorite typeface? I love the contrast between handmade writing and typeface, but I don’t have a favorite one.
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Jugs Height: 5.5" | Width: 4" 2013 Earthenware, Wax Resist and Colored Slip
TYPORAMICS
Lesley BAKER United States
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TYPORAMICS
35 Lesley Baker
L
esley Baker's architectural background is visible in her detailed ceramic artwork.
Baker is known for creating beautiful individual pieces that work as a whole once they are stacked or arranged together. These large artworks are filled with exquisite little details such as fine lines of text or drawings; these allow the artwork to achieve a balance between delicacy and presence. Lesley Baker's keen eye for inner meaning allows her artwork to say much while retaining a sense of quietness and simplicity.
“My work is about creating pieces with a level of subtle social statement and much like how we are presented information through mass media, the true message is not always obvious.” previous spread page
Flower House (detail) Height 12" | Width 9" | Depth 5" 2009 Hand built and Slip–Cast Porcelain opposite page
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Fly on the Wall Height: 18" | Width: 30" | Depth: 4" 2008 Hand built Stoneware
TYPORAMICS
Do you have any graphic design background? I do not have a graphic design background but my undergraduate is in architecture, which I consider more of a design degree. When did you start combining typography into your artwork? I became interested in adding imagery to my ceramic artwork because of my architecture background. I see the surface as a façade that can offer information. By layering imagery, I create a subtle narrative. My early approach was to collage images from my life and emphasize how memory becomes altered over time. Some memories are larger, some soon to be forgotten. During this time I came across some typed stories written by my blind grandfather. He was blinded by spinal meningitis when he was six, and I thought his stories about sight brought a wonderful new level of meaning to my pieces as well as an interesting collaboration. I scanned the pages and enlarged the text. I also became intrigued by the beauty in the irregularity of the type, as well as hand written corrections to errors he made but couldn't see to correct. I have used other text, mostly from collected souvenirs, but my favorite is still the typed stories. I can pull out words or phrases that work with my ideas.
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Wall of Sighs Height: 35" | Width: 54" | Depth: 9" 2006 Slip–Cast Porcelain
Flower House Height 12" | Width 9" | Depth 5" 2009 Hand built and Slip–Cast Porcelain
Why do you use typography as part of your ceramic artwork? Using typography is a challenge. By giving the viewer something to read, they will read it. By doing this I think it can be very easy to direct someone to the meaning of the work, which I think can also cause them to dismiss it quickly. Early on, I purposely placed text on my art pieces backwards to discourage the viewer from reading it and to invite them to look more at the pattern it created; to understand it was just words. But when I exhibited the piece so many people said they had read it and knew what it was about! That is when I realized people will take the time to read the text, even if it’s backwards. It is still important for me on certain pieces to give some direction, but I try not to give enough to complete the story. That is for the viewer. Is your use of typography communicative or decorative? I see it as both. I know the words or text will be read, so the use and placement are very purposeful. But I also see the beauty in the actual forms of the text that can stand alone or be layered with other thought out imagery. How do you apply type to your artwork? I screenprint indirectly onto newsprint and transfer the text or
images onto wet slabs. Some other times, I screen directly on the clay, but I like the control and quality I get with the paper. I also work with laser decals and digital color decals. The piece and the imagery will often determine the technique. What forms do you use to convey form and meaning in your ceramic artwork? My forms tend to be more architectural or reference function. Is typography important in order to understand your work? In the pieces that are predominantly text, the answer would be yes, but in other pieces the text serves to provide minimal information. It really depends on the placement and how much I want to use it to guide the viewer. Where do you get inspiration for your ceramic artwork? Inspiration comes from so many places! I know an underlying source is my own architecture/design background, which drives me to look at surface and patterns. The floral imagery is inspired by wallpaper patterns, and text is a literal reference to writing on the wall. Current events, as well as nature, inspire the imagery and narratives. I’m driven by an ongoing fear that I’ve always had of our natural world disappearing. That fear is now more about misinformation and how to discern the actual truth. This is why I like to use my grandfather’s text about vision. When I use it, I’m asking the viewer to slow down a bit and actually really look at something. What do you take into account when creating a new piece? The concept is the main driving factor. I work with different clays based on the idea. I may use terracotta to reference a common material, such as brick, or I may use porcelain and its translucency to reference something more precious. For example, in Flower House, a piece about the public education system, I wanted the artpiece to look like paper from school books, looking fragile, so I used thin porcelain. What is your favorite typeface? Since I’m not a graphic designer I have to admit I don’t look that closely at fonts. I have enjoyed working with typewriter text because of the uniqueness and flaws, the fuzzy edges and the letters sometimes a little off. If I had to choose a typeface, I like the look of sans–serif fonts, like Arial or Helvetica.
37 Lesley Baker
TYPORAMICS
Mariana BAQUERO United States
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TYPORAMICS
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Puffy Cups Height 4" | Width 3.5" | Depth 3.5" 2012 Porcelain, Screen Printed Underglaze, Custom Made Laser Toner Decals
“I use text as a repetitive pattern to define and enhance form. By using text to create pattern, I am stripping it of its meaning and reconfiguring it to express my own ideas and emotions.�
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Mariana Baquero
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Two Bowls (Detail) Tall Bowl: Height 4.5" | Width 5" | Depth 5" Short Bowl: Height 4" | Width 5" | Depth 5" 2012
M
Porcelain, Screen Printed Underglaze, Custom
ariana Baquero's art pieces tell stories of her family's history and her personal background.
Baquero, a former attorney, uses all kinds of legal documents, photographs, family letters, postcards, and even recipes in her artwork. She uses all the text and imagery she can get her hands on with a sense of connection to who she is and where she comes from. Baquero works primarily with functional ware because the pieces are something that anyone can relate to. They are approachable; they beg to be held, to be touched, and to interact with the viewer. It is through such personal interaction that Mariana Baquero accomplishes her wish—to make art that not only tells a story but also brings a sense of joy and familiarity to those who have it.
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Cups and Pillow Saucers Cups: Height 3.5" | Width 3.5" | Depth 3.5" Saucers: Height 2" | Width 4.5" | Depth 4.5" 2013 Porcelain, Screen Printed Underglaze, Custom Made Laser Toner Decals
Three Cups Height 3.5" | Width 3" | Depth 3" 2012 Porcelain, Screen Printed Underglaze, Custom Made Laser Toner Decals
Cups and Saucers Tall Cup: Height 4" | Width 3.5" | Depth 3.5" Saucers: Height 2" | Width 4" | Depth 4" 2012 Porcelain, Screen Printed Underglaze, Custom Made Laser Toner Decals
TYPORAMICS
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Mariana Baquero
Do you have any graphic design background? No. In fact I don’t have a traditional art background at all. My undergraduate degree is in Political Science. I went to law school and practiced law for about six years before I decided to make a change. I went to cooking school, and then took some painting and drawing classes. Once I took my first ceramics class and I knew this was what I wanted to do. When did you start combining typography into your work? It started pretty early in my artistic development as an artist. I have always been attracted to collage, and so I was interested in developing collage surfaces on my vessels. Found text has traditionally been part of collage, so I began to incorporate found type on my surfaces. The text comes from old family letters and postcards, as well as legal language and documents that I used while working as a lawyer. Why do you use typography as part of your ceramic work? I really like the idea of taking text out of its original context and putting it in a new context and therefore changing its meaning. For example, legal language is meticulously crafted to fulfill a very specific purpose. I enjoy taking that text and cutting it up, disassembling it, and rearrange it to create a pattern on the surface of my vessels. Is your use of typography communicative or decorative? It is both. I enjoy using text as pattern, removing it from its original context and meaning, but the text is still readable; its previous meaning is still recognizable. What is your technique in applying type to your artwork? I use two different techniques. First, I create my own screens using a product called StencilPro. I burn my text and images onto the StencilPro screen, and then I will use underglaze to transfer the text and images onto the surface of my vessels. After applying the underglaze, I cover the surface with glaze and fire the piece to cone 6. Second, I use laser toner decals to apply text and images onto the fired surface of my vessels. Laser toner decals are made by printing text and images onto water slide decal paper using a laser toner printer. Laser toner contains iron oxide, which is a ceramic colorant. The decal is applied to the glaze–fired surface and fired again. The water slide decal paper burns away and the iron oxide melts into the glaze surface, creating a permanent image.
Functional ware plays and important role in your art. What lures you to that specific format? I make functional objects because these objects have qualities that are universally recognized; they all transcend the barriers of language, culture and even time. Through the language of function, I am able to communicate a sense of joy, a feeling of satisfaction and connection. Using texture, form, color and pattern, I create a dialogue between myself and the viewer, a dialogue that isn't complete until the viewer has interacted, touched and examined the object. I find this type of communication to be truly fulfilling, whether I am the artist who made the object or the viewer who is experiencing someone else’s work. With repeated use, a handmade pot will continue to intrigue and satisfy the user and provide a lasting connection to the artist who made it. Color and typography seem to play an important role in your work. Can you elaborate on that? Color is very important in my work. It helps to evoke emotions and memories. I use text to provide information and create visual interest through repetitive pattern. I often use the two to create a collage on the surface of my vessels. What do you take into account when creating a new piece? Form comes first. As I am creating the form, I’m thinking how I want the surface to look and what kind of texts and images I want to use. I want my artpieces to evoke joy, comfort, and nostalgia, and so I pick color and images to achieve that look. Do you think typography is important in order to understand your artwork? As I understand it, typography is the art of arranging type to make it attractive and easier to read. Ease of reading is not my goal. I’m more interested in creating pattern. But while I’m not interested in making text easy to read, it is important that it is readable and recognizable, since it is text that is personally important to me. I use text that comes from my own personal and family history, so it adds layers of meaning to the work. What is your favorite typeface? I do not have one favorite typeface since I usually use found text in my work. I rely on whatever type was chosen by the person who originally created the text. In my own personal writing, I usually use Century Gothic.
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Two Jars Height 7" | Width 6" | Depth 6" 2013 Porcelain, Screen Printed Underglaze, Custom Made Laser Toner Decals
Pitcher and Cups Pitcher: Height 7" | Width 6.5" | Depth 6.5" Cups: Height 3.5" | Width 3" | Depth 3" 2012 Porcelain, Screen Printed Underglaze, Custom Made Laser Toner Decals
Two Bowls Tall Bowl: Height 4.5" | Width 5" | Depth 5" Short Bowl: Height 4" | Width 5" | Depth 5" 2012 Porcelain, Screen Printed Underglaze, Custom Made Laser Toner Decals
TYPORAMICS
Frances BROSNAN Ireland
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TYPORAMICS
F
rances Brosnan's artwork draws on her own experiences, and emphasizes social commentary.
She is very much interested in color and texture. But her work goes behind the surface, drawing the viewer into much deeper meaning. Her work is a dialogue between the human experience and its condition, between the piece itself and the response that is created when the piece is viewed. Brosnan's ceramic pieces may be thin, delicate, fragile, but below all that there is heavy content.
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Frances Brosnan
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Tugorio (Detail) Height: 24" | Width: 18" | Depth: 12" 2011 Porcelain, Underglaze, Decals opposite page
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Bidonville Height: 17" | Width: 12" | Depth: 11" 2011 Porcelain, Underglaze, Decals, Bamboo, Wire
Sean Tí
“While travelling in Asia I was inspired by the courage and determination of people who, despite living in appalling conditions, managed to create shelter from the detritus of society. I have explored both aesthetic and social issues of home, space and poverty within my creative practice.”
Height: 22" | Width: 13" | Depth: 15" 2011 Porcelain, Underglaze, Decals, Wire
Dharavi Height: 33" | Width: 22" | Depth: 16" 2011 Porcelain, Underglaze, Decals this page
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Campamento Height: 25" | Width: 20" | Depth: 15" 2011 Porcelain, Underglaze, Decals
Kibera Height: 33" | Width: 22" | Depth: 16" 2011 Porcelain, Underglaze, Decals
TYPORAMICS
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Frances Brosnan
Do you have any graphic design background? Not really. My formal training has been in mostly in Fine Arts specializing in Ceramics.
conditions, managed to create some kind of shelter from the detritus of society. In making shanty houses I explore issues of home, space, and poverty.
When did you start combining typography into your work? In 2010, while working on my final project for my degree in ceramic art and 3D design.
Is typography important in order to understand your work and to have these points come across to the viewer? Very much so. Type has added a whole other dimension to my ability to convey my message.
Why do you use Typography as part of your ceramic art? I found that using typography really helped to highlight the message I was hoping to impart with my shanty sculptures. Is your use of typography communicative or decorative? Definitely communicative. What is your technique in applying type to your artwork? I first bisque fire the work and then paint it with underglaze paints. This can take a lot of time as I paint and rub back many times to get the desired effect. The piece is then high fired. A third and final firing is done to attach the typography. I use decal transfers that I design and have specially printed. The transfers are placed in a bowl of warm water for about twenty seconds, lifted out, and excess water shaken off. I carefully place the transfer on the piece, using a soft cloth to press out any air. This is very important, otherwise air can get trapped underneath the decal transfer and bubble up during the firing, ruining the work. Dwellings (houses) seem to play a central role in the form and meaning of your artwork. Why is that? While travelling around Asia I was inspired by the courage and determination of people who, despite living in appalling
Where do you get inspiration for your artwork? As stated above, my initial inspiration was actually found by visiting shanty towns. I took photographs on my visits, and used these for reference. I then spent a lot of time researching and developing ideas. What do you take into account when creating a new piece? Color? Type? Context? Concept? I very much believe in the process of making art. First comes the concept, then the context. Both color and texture are very important and all these are incorporated into the typography to further enhance the message. What is your favorite typeface? It really depends on the piece I am working on and how it fits in with the overall look of the final piece.
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Tugorio Height: 24" | Width: 18" | Depth: 12" 2011 Porcelain, Underglaze, Decals
Basti Height: 22" | Width: 19" | Depth: 10" 2011 Porcelain, Underglaze, Decals
TYPORAMICS
Matthew CAUSEY United States
51
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“When I draw cartoons or portraits, whatever you want to call them, I have to know what I am doing, their face needs to be something that I can do without looking.�
53
Matthew Causey
M
atthew Causey's illustrative art is inspired by cartoons, comic books, and pop culture.
As a ceramic artist, Causey uses his background as a cartoonist, and applies it by filling his pieces with images and text. His artwork engages what he calls “the bombardment of media stimulation.” His pieces of utilitarian ware can be used in everyday settings, but also become small pieces of social commentary on today's society. Matthew Causey’s sketches, illustrations, and typography compose a bigger picture that goes beyond a cup or a bowl to reflect on our times.
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Smile & Nod (detail) Height: 3" | Width: 3.5" | Depth: 3.5" 2014 Porcelain opposite page
Art & Craft Height: 3" | Width: 3.5" | Depth: 3.5" 2012 Porcelain this page
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Ab-Ex & Po-Mo Height: 3" | Width: 3.5" | Depth: 3.5" 2013 Porcelain
Angel & Devil Height: 3" | Width: 3.5" | Depth: 3.5" 2013 Porcelain
TYPORAMICS
55
Matthew Causey
Do you have any graphic design background? I do not have graphic design background. My undergraduate degree is in animation… hand–drawn, used film, very old school. I did take one graphic design class, and one illustration class tough. I also have a minor in printmaking. I guess my love for fonts comes from looking at lots of posters. I really liked what Hatch Show Print and Yee Haw industries were doing in the late 90’s. When did you start combining typography into your work? After my days as an undergraduate I began working with clay. I would say I have always had words in my work. I draw very cartoony stuff, and words and cartoons are natural bedfellows. Why do you use typography as part of your ceramic artwork? Typography isn’t something I necessarily think I use in my work. I use phrases to get a simple point across, or communicate a feeling. I have studied art for a long time, and spent a considerable amount of time wrestling with contemporary visual aesthetics. My goal as an artist is to be as simple and direct as possible with what I want to say. Words make my points very clearly. They help me eliminate the guesswork. Is your use of typography communicative or decorative? My use of type is very communicative. What is your technique in applying type to your artwork? Most of my work was hand–drawn. In the past few months I have started using an iPad and having all those drawings converted to decals. Some of that work has text that I didn’t generate. The brand new artwork is created via two free apps; I use Paper 53 to draw the images and Sketchbook X to add the remaining text and color.
I want to make an object someone will love, use and hopefully smile about. I want them to think of me fondly. I think that might come from being an Army brat. I have moved all over, and really deep down I fear being wiped out of folks’ memory banks. The art object gives me a presence without me being physically present in the picture. Is typography important in order to understand your work? I think type give some of the work more punch. My work is very expressive and words push it over the top. I am truly not a minimalist; I’m a maximalist. Where do you get inspiration for your ceramic art? Inspiration comes from life. Most of my art work comes from sketchbooks. I draw when I’m trying to figure out a feeling. Sitting at bars drawing on bar napkins also is a common place of inspiration. I grew up watching cartoons, and I still look at comic book images on my Tumblr feed. I follow the Design Museum on Twitter and have fun when they do font Sunday (#fontsunday). That is a lot of fun. What do you take into account when creating a new piece? Color? Type? Context? Concept? New work generally comes from a doodle. The drawing is what drives me. Vessels are good canvases, but I will use the same idea on a tablet just as easily. What is your favorite typeface? My go–to font used to be Century Gothic. Now, I would say that third–grade cursive and chunky handwriting are what I use most of the time in my work.
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Smile & Nod Height: 3" | Width: 3.5" | Depth: 3.5" 2014 Porcelain
Art & Craft Height: 3" | Width: 3.5" | Depth: 3.5" 2013 Porcelain
Stop hitting yourself Height: 3" | Width: 3.5" | Depth: 3.5" 2013 Porcelain
Utilitarian ware (cups, vessels) seems to play a key role in the form and meaning of your artwork. Why is that? I do create a lot of vessels. Most of my work is cups. I think I make cups for a very selfish reason: I don’t want to be forgotten.
TYPORAMICS
Liz CRAIN United States
57
TYPORAMICS
59 Liz Crain
L
iz Crain's work has its roots in the familiar imagery and shape of different era vintage containers.
Crain creates colorful utilitarian vessels with a retro feel. She is interested in surface design, texture, shape, and typography, all of which play key roles in her work. Crain's pieces are visually exciting, not only because they embody the essence of a different time, but also because their finish achieves a level of authenticity with the look of dents, dripping, and even rust. She thrives on the idea that her pieces look like they could have been found at a thrift shop or even at an antique gallery. The beauty of Liz Crain's work is that although her pieces look back toward the past, they feel contemporary enough to fit in our modern days.
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Horseshoes and Handgrenades Tea Can (Detail) Height: 11" | Width: 9.5" | Depth: 5.75" 2014 Stoneware opposite page
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Iron City Conetop Beer Can El Rey Conetop Beer Can Tahoe Conetop Beer Can Height: 5.75" | Width: 2.75" | Depth: 2.75" Each 2014 Stoneware opposite page
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Budweiser Conetop Beer Can 6”h x 3”w x 3”d 2012 Stoneware
Pacific Conetop Beer Can Height: 5.75" | Width: 2.75" | Depth: 2.75" 2014 Stoneware
Old Missouri Conetop Beer Can
“I am amused by the straightforward guilelessness of package design from years ago and use it to springboard to invented new meanings.”
Height: 6" | Width: 3" | Depth: 3" 2013 Stoneware opposite page
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Bavarian Zythepsary Conetop Beer Can Height: 6" | Width: 3" | Depth: 3" 2013 Stoneware
Imperial Conetop Beer Can Height: 6" | Width: 3" | Depth: 3" 2011 Stoneware
Three Shot–Up Beer Cans: Bull's Eye, Rim Shot and Target Practice Height: 5.75" | Width: 2.75" | Depth: 2.75" Each 2013 Stoneware
TYPORAMICS
Do you have any graphic design background? I have studied graphic design independently for decades. I am a zealous lover of words and letter forms. I pay avid attention to how they look and what that look might communicate beyond the dictionary meaning. Does the type style augment the meaning? Fight with it? Take us to new places? I was the graphics coordinator for Intel in the mid 70's. Mostly I worked with graphics vendors on User’s Manuals (yawn), but there was some in–house work and I did that. It was the beginning of my love affair with typefaces, lettering, layout, everything. When did you start combining typography into your work? When I began making ceramic vintage metal cans, around 2008, I only hinted at product names and logos. I was more interested in their physical forms and their own decay than I was in product veneration or political commentary. Wherever I could, I adapted and smudged out the labels. In 2010 I made my first conetop beer can, and at that point was happy to make my hand–drawn and underglaze versions of vintage beer labels. They were so gorgeous, and challenging to replicate! Why do you use typography as part of your ceramic artwork? In the past few years I have been developing my own playful, often ironic, product brands to put on my pieces. It has led me to the whole world of package design and “selling it.” The ceramic forms are as vintage and beat–up as ever, but now there is one more level they explore: the meaning and the promise of the invented product the cans contained. Circling round, the nature of the typography is now an important partner in the whole look and message of the art piece. this page
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Stoopnagle and Goolsticker Tea Can Height: 11.75" | Width: 9.5" | Depth: 5.5" 2013 Stoneware
Horseshoes and Handgrenades Tea Can Height: 11" | Width: 9.5" | Depth: 5.75" 2014 Stoneware
Is your use of typography communicative or decorative? It is primarily communicative, but how it looks adds to that final presentation immensely. What is your technique in applying type to your artwork? Everything on each art piece is drawn freehand and then hand painted with ceramic underglazes. I am trying to develop a way to impress letters from the inside of a piece to create the look of embossed sheet metal, but I’m not there yet. Your artwork gravitates towards recognizable vessels, such as teapots, canisters, bottles. Why do you use those shapes? Great question! A ceramic vessel that is not pottery and does
not look or “go together” like pottery is more interesting to me, but I prefer it to be recognizable as a vessel and not a mere sculpture of a vessel. The entropy of a metal container, from shiny new to rusty, dented, and decrepit is not a process that ceramic pieces experience, and that is also interesting to me. How to make the one material look like the other, and yet work deftly with and honor the first? I make functional/dysfunctional pieces of human–sized proportions, not art miniatures or enlargements, but made of clay and so more lyrical and metaphoric than the real items. Add on the hand painted, often ironic branding, with all the humor and double meanings one can artfully place on one piece at a time, and you’ve got what I’m aiming for! Where do you get inspiration for your ceramic artwork? I am attracted the old metal cans first, so the object is the first source of inspiration. How that old metal can looks when made of clay and colored with ceramic materials is a surfacing challenge, so color is next on inspiration. What that old metal can used to contain, and how it was branded, led to package design and lettering; typography it a huge source of inspiration. What do you take into account when creating a new piece? Until recently I would have answered this question with more of a nod to the formal properties of a piece. But now I am firmly in the concept camp. Before I know what my forms will end up as, besides vintage–looking metal cans, I now prefer to know what they are going to say. The content and rationale drive. What those artworks look like matters greatly in support of the concept. Is typography important in order to understand your art? Generally, typography is a supporting player in understanding my work. It augments the meaning of the piece, carrying its denotation into connotation and other significations. When the type is chosen and executed well, the piece works. I feel if that is done ineptly, it has more power to take away from the piece than nearly any other facet of form or content. It mightily spoils the illusion! What is your favorite typeface? That is like picking my favorite child! However I really melt over classic Art Deco letter forms and all the modern versions that have made from all of them.
61 Liz Crain
TYPORAMICS
Alfredo EANDRADE Argentina
63
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W
ords, speech, and text are key to the concept and context of Alfredo Eandrade’s artwork.
Eandrade's cup installation is a visual feast of ceramic and typography. He is very much interested in exploring the meaning behind words said or written (in this case through newspaper's headlines) and what happens to those words when they are taken out of context, when they are taken out of their element. Eandrade draws a connection between empty vessels and empty words. The vessels can also be seen as ourselves and as the impact our words have in the world. Alfredo Eandrade's artwork creates a conversation between the artwork and viewer, between the literal words expressed and the implied meaning to be taken from them.
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Alfredo Eandrade
“My work is traversed by three foundational elements, water, mud and word. From these elements, I explore the world, and myself.�
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Vasos Comunicantes (Communicating Cups) Height: 63" | Width: 35.5" | Depth: 31.5" Full installation; table and 70 cups 2010 Porcelain
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67
Alfredo Eandrade
Do you have any graphic design background? No, I don’t. When did you start combining type into your ceramic work? I started combining typography into my pieces around 2010. Why do you use typography as part of your artwork? I have always been fascinated by words beyond their ordinary meaning. I have always looked at words as powerful entities, expressive of their own visual weight and magnitude. Is your use of typography communicative or decorative? Flimsily decorative and forcefully communicative. What is your technique in applying type to your artwork? I direct transfer from photocopies. Vessels seem to play a central role in the form and meaning of your artwork. Why is that? By definition, vessels are containers. However, in my body of artwork, I use them as a challenging means of this intrinsic feature. They are an analogy of what we are, as opposed to what we are expected to be. My vessels are impuissant; they cannot contain anything, just as we cannot contain ourselves no matter how hard we work to prove the opposite. Is typography important in order to understand your work and to have those points to come across to the viewer? In a certain way, it is. I use typography as a dynamic tool. On the one hand it is a visual inducement to catch the viewer’s attention and trigger uncertainties. On the other hand, type makes each vessel different. I use what is similar, as opposed to what is identical, as a strategy to suggest our fear of losing our own personal identity. Where do you get inspiration for your artwork? My inspiration comes from the world around me, and from my childhood memories. Human behavior is an unceasing source of inspiration for me. What do you take into account when creating a new piece? Concept and medium, in that order.
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Vasos Comunicantes (Communicating Cups) Height: 63" | Width: 35.5" | Depth: 31.5" Full installation; table and 70 cups 2010 Porcelain
What is your favorite typeface? Traveling typewriter, though at the moment I am working with Impact label reversed.
TYPORAMICS
Marie GIBBONS United States
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M
arie Gibbons's art juxtaposes thought provoking imagery and well sorted out wording.
Gibbons’ excellent attention to detail with surface and decoration makes her work unique. Her pieces create a visual dialogue that allows the viewer to interpret them literally while giving enough play to be interpretable on deeper levels. She uses words to further convey the meaning of the ceramic work. Her own personal experiences and memories are the basis of her artwork. However, those could apply to the universal human experience. Marie Gibbon's work bridges the gap between personal and collective, between word and image.
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Marie Gibbons
“I love words; in songs, poetry, cliches. I love to marry these words to imagery in order to discuss, analyze, prove or disprove, and to bring the viewer into my head, to share experiences.�
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The Milagro Series: Give Heart (detail) Height: 10" | Width: 8" | Depth: 4" 2010 Paper Clay, Acrylic Washes opposite page
The Milagro Series: Enough Heart Height: 10" | Width: 8" | Depth: 4" 2010 Paper Clay, Acrylic Washes this page
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The Milagro Series: Give Heart Height: 10" | Width: 8" | Depth: 4" 2010 Paper Clay, Acrylic Washes
The Milagro Series: Full Heart Height: 24" | Width: 20" | Depth: 9" 2010 Paper Clay, Acrylic Washes
TYPORAMICS
73
Marie Gibbons
Do you have any graphic design background? No, I have no formal training or experience in graphic design, however, my background in retail sales has fed my pursuit of marketing my own business: my art, and teaching in my own studio in Denver, CO. When did you start combining typography into your work? I have, on and off over the past 20 years, combined text with the imagery of my artwork. It is not something that I use in a constant way, but rather when it feels right to the piece. Why do you use typography as part of your ceramic work? When I choose to add typography to my art it is because I feel the “word” will add to the metaphor, and/or the design of the piece, as well as push the idea that I am trying to convey a little further into the viewer’s interpretation. Is your use of typography communicative or decorative? I would say that often it is both, but first and foremost the type serves to further communicate my idea. What is your technique in applying type to your artwork? I typical impress or carve type into my clay work.
Where do you get inspiration for your ceramic artwork? From every day life What do you take into account when creating a new piece? I think the first leg of a piece is always concept, then the context—what will visually communicate the thoughts I want to put out there. Type would come in to play in the context area of the work, and while I may be thinking of the color palette that will come to play, I don’t really finalize that until the end. What is your favorite typeface? I really don’t have a favorite per se. It depends what the word is, what it is placed on, etc. I do, however, use a typeface that is clear and easy to read.
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The Milagro Series: In/Out Lungs Height: 15" | Width: 8" | Depth: 4" each 2010 Paper Clay, Acrylic Washes
The Milagro Series: Quiet Lung Height: 14" | Width: 7" | Depth: 4" 2010 Paper Clay, Acrylic Washes this page
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The Milagro Series: Satisfaction Stomach Height: 11" | Width: 9" | Depth: 4" 2010 Paper Clay, Acrylic Washes
The Milagro Series: Panic Stomach Height: 11" | Width: 9" | Depth: 4" 2010 Paper Clay, Acrylic Washes
The human form seems play a central role in the form and meaning of your artwork. Why is that? Quite simply, my work most often speaks of everyday life as experienced by myself and by those close to me. The use of the human form puts the perspective of a human life into play. Is typography important in order to understand your work and to have those points to come across to the viewer? In some cases the use of typography is important to further communicate a more concrete idea in my work; in others cases it is not necessary.
TYPORAMICS
Michelle HAMILTON United States
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77
Michelle Hamilton
“My artistic passion has always been expressed by creating vessels. They hold not only our epicurean nourishment but also a source for transportation of personal epilogue.”
M
ichelle Hamilton's inspiration comes from classical pottery, ocean life, urns, and nature.
Hamilton's utilitarian vessels are deeply rooted in classical forms and iconography. The elegance of the ceramic forms, along with her thought out use of vintage imagery, creates a perfect balance between object of desire and object of use. Hamilton's attraction to birds, flowers, old images, or botanical prints, are a key factor in her creative process. She uses them as an important part of the overall composition. Michelle Hamilton's art pieces go beyond their utilitarian first look; they are ceramic vessels that carry strong symbolism from another time in history.
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Secret Life of Birds, “Jay/Jay” Clay Urn (Detail) Height: 14" | Width: 14"| Depth: 8" Year 2009 Medium Mid–Fire White Clay opposite page
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Darwin's Prose I, Clay Urn Height: 22" | Width: 5"| Depth: 5" Year 2008 Medium Mid–Fire White Clay
Darwin's Prose II, Clay Urn Height: 20" | Width: 5"| Depth: 5" Year 2008 Medium Mid–Fire White Clay
Darwin's Prose III, Clay Urn Height: 19" | Width: 5"| Depth: 5" Year 2009 Medium Mid–Fire White Clay this page
Seed Packet Cups Height:4" | Width: 3.5" Year 2011 Medium Mid–Fire White Clay
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Michelle Hamilton
Do you have any graphic design background? I don’t have a graphic design background. In 1986 I received a BFA in ceramics with a minor in Art Education, and in 1991 I received two MFAs in Ceramics and Glass. When did you started combining typography into your art? Around 2009. Why do you use typography as part of your ceramic work? I use typography to express a story or theory. I also find that some imagery is best shared by the use of photography (my own) or antique bookplates. I truly enjoy using the unexpected canvas that clay provides. Is your use of typography communicative or decorative? I use typography as communicative component, as in telling a story. These generally are larger urn forms that are inspired by the Apulian vase paintings. I also utilize applied images strictly as a decorative component in a retail collection. What is your technique in applying type to your artwork? I use applied and fired–on ceramic decals. These are created using photography and antique bookplates. I merge and alter these images with Photoshop. Then I print out a sepia–toned decal that is made with an oxide-based ink printed onto decal paper. This decal is then applied to glazed ceramic forms and fired to 1,300° F. For full–color imagery and typeface, I custom order the decals from a specialty printing company. Vessels seem play a dominant role in the form and meaning of your artwork. Why is that? Both clay and glass are compelling mediums with endless possibilities. My passion lies not only in the material but also in the art of creating vessels. They hold not only our epicurean nourishment but they are also a source for transportation of personal epilogue. I feel inextricably connected to the ancient women who created vessels that fed their families and to the spiritual exposure and enclosure of mind, body, and spirit. I am inspired by supple curves and shadow play that can both create the illusion of life from within and allow a solid form to feel as if it is floating above its base. Is typography important in order to understand your work and to have those points to come across to the viewer? For my communicative pieces the typography is an essential
part of the whole. The artwork's story or statement would be incomplete without it. Where do you get inspiration for your artwork? My ceramic work is a vessel for a narrative of imagery and composition. My Urn collection falls into two groupings: the Darwin’s Prose series and the Secret Life of Birds series. The pieces in the Darwin’s Prose series explore the visually elegant form of the classic urn paired with the sensuous Orchid. The imagery in this series is a documentation of some of my own photographs taken at the annual Orchid Show at the Missouri Botanical Garden. I am captivated by the lush and erotic nature of Orchids. I am amused at the dispassionate scientific classifications, descriptions, and reproductive investigations documented by Charles Darwin. The Secret Life of Birds pieces continue the investigation of the contrasts between vessels that hold commodities and vessels that hold stories. 1800's bookplates inspire the imagery in this series. I extend the idea of what the viewer expects to see when reading the zoological classification, and play with the static information, creating a tongue–in–cheek story. The viewer is instantly drawn into the wording by unexpected smaller images that are juxtaposed with playful wording. I aim to create a piece that is balanced and strong from afar and amusing and contemplative up close. What do you take into account when creating a new piece? I utilize context as my starting point. What is your favorite typeface? I do not have a favorite typeface. The typefaces I choose for my artwork are generally relative to the time period the piece is ref lecting or inspired by. opposite page
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The Secret Life Of Birds, “Sneaky Fellow” Clay Urn Height: 22" | Width: 6"| Depth: 6" Year 2009 Medium Mid–Fire White Clay
Secret Life of Birds, “Jay/Jay” Clay Urn Height: 14" | Width: 14"| Depth: 8" Year 2009 Medium Mid–Fire White Clay
TYPORAMICS
Steve HANSEN United States
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S
teve Hansen’s colorful artwork, is deeply rooted in a different era and various regionalisms.
Hansen's perfectly executed artwork pieces could be considered assemblage artwork. At first glance, his clever use of imagery and typography harken back to the golden era of advertisement. On closer inspection, however, his pieces create a dialogue through which the viewer is confronted with deeper social issues. His work addresses racism, male chauvinism, and even gender role shaming. Steve Hansen's pieces, although lively in nature, are weighty in subject matter. They compel us to think and reflect about how far we have come from the “good old days.�
83 Steve Hansen
“The Meta stories in our visual culture are now primarily from commercials, advertising, and product tie–ins from movies and television.”
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Uncle Ben’s Log Cabin (Detail) Height: 12.5" | Width: 10" | Depth: 3.5" 2013 Stoneware opposite page
Look I’m a Mother Height: 8.75" | Width: 6" | Depth: 4.5" 2014 Stoneware this page
Superblack Height: 12.5" | Width: 10" | Depth: 3.5" 2013 Stoneware
85 Steve Hansen
Do you have any graphic design background? I am not a professional graphic designer, but I teach History of Graphic Design. I also have a love affair with typography and illustration in general. When did you start combining typography into your work? My first use of type in ceramics was in 1999, when I introduced the type from license plates into my work. I had used some type in work as early as graduate school in 1991, but those were works of conceptual art. Is your use of typography communicative or decorative? Both. Communicative and decorative. Why do you use typography as part of your ceramic work? Typography allows me to include concept, and content that interests me. It also allows me to use humor and irony. What is your technique in applying type to your artwork? I have used hand–painting extensively, similar to sign painting except using underglazes. Recently I have begun using ceramic decals. Utilitarian ware (cups, platters, vases) seems to play a key role in the form and meaning of your artwork. Why is that? This is actually a fairly recent development. For much of the last 14 years I have worked primarily with sculptural forms. In December 2013, I began creating utilitarian pots again, mostly to reach a larger audience. I think they work very well because many of the images I use relate to gender roles, and common household pots, used daily in the home, will become part of the application of gender roles in the homes where they are being used. Is typography important in order to understand your work and to have those points to come across to the viewer? I think the messages are important. The type itself (use of fonts) lends the work a nostalgic look that is important. These
works are meant to seem like artifacts, objects, relics from the not–so–distant past. I think people get that. Where do you get inspiration for your ceramic work? We are all products of both our nature and our nurture. By nature, I am a rural Midwesterner, born in the early 1960's to a family of blue–collar carpenters, but by nurture, I am an educated art historian and artist. My inspiration comes from my roots in a specific time and place, my interest in the history of graphic design, and cultural issues that envelop advertising and the creation of stereotypes. What do you take into account when creating a new piece? The work needs to look like my work. It needs to feel like an artifact. It needs to feel constructed. This determines the color palette and to some extent the form. Then the work needs to interest me conceptually. This determines the image/s and type I use on the form. What is your favorite typeface? I don’t have one. Each application demands its own. I try not to be overly predictable. In my artwork, I mostly lift the type directly from the advertising used in the 1930's–60's.
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Uncle Ben’s Log Cabin (Back) Height: 12.5" | Width: 10" | Depth: 3.5" 2013 Stoneware
It's Fun to Fool Your Husband Height: 4" | Width: 6" | Depth: 4" 2014 Stoneware
Nice Hair, Nice Eyes, Nice Teeth Height: 7" | Width: 8" | Depth: 5" 2014 Stoneware
Bonnie's Gay and Softie Cream and Sugar Set Height: 4" | Width: 3.5" | Depth: 5.5" 2014 Stoneware
Hey Lady, Your Future is Showing Height: 11" | Width: 11" | Depth: 1" 2014 Stoneware
Today's Moral Menace Height: 3.5" | Width: 4" | Depth: 5.5" 2014 Stoneware
Twice as Handsome Height: 3.5" | Width: 4" | Depth: 5.5" 2014 Stoneware
Venus and Mars Tea Height: 11" | Width: 17.5" | Depth: 4.5" 2014 Stoneware
TYPORAMICS
Holly HANESSIAN United States
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Holly Hanessian
“I have always enjoyed the dichotomy of visual clues inherent in narrative art.�
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Aha Installation Height: 9' | Width: 7' | Depth: 7' 2010 Porcelain, Plexiglass, Monofilament this page
Luck Height: 18" | Width: 26" | Depth: 6" 2005 Earthenware, Terra Sigilatta
H
olly Hanessian's artwork draws inspiration from her daily life and experiences.
Hanessian's much interest in science and nature is evident in her pieces. The beautiful juxtaposition of contemporary ceramic work and design allows the artist a unique venue for her ideas. Her installation pieces are filled with typography that may seem scattered but convey meaning when combined with other ceramic forms. Hanessian uses her own handwriting on her work, creating a strong direct linkage between artist and piece that remains once the artwork is finished. DNA, human environments, and books are some of the references that Holly Hanessian uses in her work, and it is through these that we get a glimpse into the mysteries of our own existence.
TYPORAMICS
Do you have any design background? I have no graphic design background, but I do love design as a way of thinking about everything. When did you start combining type and ceramic artwork? I started using type in my work in the 1990's as a way to integrate the book form into my ceramic work. The words and typography became natural ways to evolve with the forms I was making. Why do you use typography as part of your ceramic artwork? I love wordplay, and how using type can add meaning to the overall wordplay of an art piece. Is you type communicate or decorative? I think the type acts as both; as way to communicate and as a design motif. One inf luences and supports the other. How do you apply type to your work? I use any appropriate technique for the sculpture that is being made: a coil of a letterform, a carved object letter, or a box letter from slabs. Whatever works! What draws you to kinetic structures as a way to display your artwork? Over the years, hanging the artwork vertically became a way of working that seemed part of my design language. It is a way to involve the space from floor to ceiling, activating a larger canvas for art display.
Your color palette is kept to a minimum, allowing porcelain to be the main star in most of your artwork. What is the main reason for those choices? Again, my forms and palette are derived from the concept driving the work; pale baby pink and blue for some earlier work referencing babyhood; simple porcelain to let the form shine and be against a black background for What do you take into account when creating a new piece? Color? Type? Context? Concept? Absolutely all of these concern me. The concept drives the choices from the get go. It takes time to develop a piece that has the strength to convey specifically the meaning I have attached to the work. Is typography important in order to understand your ceramic artwork? For the pieces when I have used type, yes the importance of having text seduce the viewer with a very easy reference, the hard part is not being literal and giving enough abstraction to keep the viewer engaged beyond a quick read of the text. What is your favorite typeface? Hmmmm‌ That is a tough question to answer! I like Century Gothic.
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Holly Hanessian
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Prophase (Four Books) Height: 5" | Width: 5" | Depth: 2" 2008 Porcelain, Acrylic, Mylar, Monofilament this page
Illuminated Markers Height: 21" | Width: 18" | Depth: 7" 2011 Porcelain, Glass Petri Dishes, Mirrors, LED Lights, Rubber
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Ruan HOFFMANN South Africa
93
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“My career in ceramics happened by default. You could say I got sidetracked by the possibilities. I’m really curious and impatient, and with ceramics you never know exactly what to expect — but this medium does respond well to me. And I enjoy playing with clay.”
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Ruan Hoffmann
R
uan Hoffmann's art is described as irreverent, forward, thought provoking, pushy or cheeky.
Hoffman's plates, irregular in shape and rough around the edges, are pure canvases for text. The words or sentences on these plates are sometimes drawn in a way that resembles classical Roman typography; they showcase ideas, statements, or comments that the artist wants to make a point about. He uses single plates to get his point across, or arrange multiple plates to form a meaningful paragraph. These thoughts may be as imperfect as the plates themselves. The true beauty of Ruan Hoffman's artwork is that he is able to create forms that can convey messages without losing their original purpose.
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DÊbris du Pied Gauche de la Statue Colossale d’Osymandyas Height: 9.5" | Width: 9.5" 2010 Earthenware Paper Clay, Colored White Porcelain Slip opposite page
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Try Harder Height: 9" | Width: 9" 2011 Earthenware Paper Clay, White Porcelain Slip, and Blue Glass Details Text from a lali puna song
Millions of People Can Be Wrong Height: 10.5" | Width: 10.5" 2011 Porcelain
Let it Go Height: 8" | Width: 8" 2011 Earthenware Paper Clay Decorated with Colored Porcelain Slip, Hand Painted Text
TYPORAMICS
Do you have any graphic design background? No, I don't. When did you start combining typography into your work? I started using text very early in my work. It was somehow always a part of it. One always wants to decipher/decode. This developed into more complex combinations, and at this point it is very much a part of my visual language. Why do you use typography as part of your ceramic art? I find that it is the easiest way of directly communicating a feeling. The idea has gradually increased to the point where I sometimes use the text as the sole decoration on a piece, but I tend to combine this with visuals. You can communicate an emotion or thought quicker and I like the visual combination. We are living in an age where people communicate via short messages (sms, whatsapp, etc) and this filters into the work.
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Remember Forget Height: 9" | Width: 9" 2010 Earthenware Paperclay, Copper Oxide, China Paint, Hand Painted Underglaze
Hell Height: 10" | Width: 10" 2010 Earthenware Paper Clay, Porcelain Slip
Is your use of typography communicative or decorative? Both, but many it visually appeals to me. What is your technique in applying type to your artwork? I paint it in by hand (freehand.) Plates and platters seem to play a key role in the form and meaning of your artwork. What is the reason for that choice? These are relatively f lat surfaces and shapes that everybody has a history with. They are the most unthreatening of objects. Your artwork is full of social commentary along with witty humor. Do you think that typography is important in order to understand your work? Not really. My type looks very formal and alludes to historical
ceramic pieces like apothecary jars, etc, so the introduction is formal and the meaning of the text is or is not. I enjoy using text, but it is of course a visual thing first. It has to be compelling to look at first, and then to decipher and think about. I would like the viewer to take time to look at the piece, to come close to the plate, a very intimate domestic object. Where do you get inspiration for your ceramic artwork? Everywhere. That is a bit because of the Internet. In today's world, one has to filter through a storm of information and images on a daily basis. Inspiration is everywhere. What do you take into account when creating a new piece? Color? Type? Context? Concept? These elements are all taken into account, but on an unconscious level. The work starts with the way I’m feeling. What is your favorite typeface? The hand–drawn one that I usually use. It has very much become a part of my personality and now it is very much associated with me.
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Ruan Hoffmann
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Robin HOSKING Australia
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101 Robyn Hosking
S
atire, criticism and a good dose of sense of humor characterize Robyn Hosking's ceramic work.
Hosking is mostly known for her toy–like figurine pieces arranged in various scenarios. Through these elaborate backgrounds, her sculptures create a discussion between artwork and viewer. Her pieces are filled with timely social commentary. But instead of taking the serious route to point out the wrongs in society or politics, she uses humor and caricature. Hosking cultural discourse perfectly combines artistic excellence with a critical point of view.
“Most of my work is about Australian politics so the faces are politicians, not just random faces. The beauty of caricature is that it’s easily understood.”
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Pollie Popularity Poll (Detail) Height: 25" | Width: 27.5" | Depth: 19.5" 2012 Stoneware and Porcelain Slip, Decals, Lustres, Mixed Media opposite page
A Canberra Chorus Line Height: 18.5" | Width: 23" | Depth: 19" 2013 Stoneware and Porcelain Slip, Decals, Lustres, Mixed Media
TYPORAMICS
Do you have any graphic design background? I took it as a subject until year 11. When did you start combining typography into your art? In 2009, the second year of my Fine Art undergraduate degree. Why do you use typography as part of your ceramic art? Because my artworks are primarily satirical cartoons, I use typography to deliver a message. Subtle or overt, depending on what I am saying.
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Pollie Popularity Poll Height: 25" | Width: 27.5" | Depth: 19.5" 2012 Stoneware and Porcelain Slip, Decals, Lustres, Mixed Media
HMAS Follies Narcissus Height: 17" | Width: 7.5" | Depth: 38.5" 2010 Stoneware and Porcelain Slip, Decals, Lustres, Fine Silver, Mixed Media
Duel Height: 7" | Width: 7" | Depth: 43" 2013 Stoneware and Porcelain Slip, Decals, Lustres, Mixed Media
Is your use of typography communicative or decorative? Communicative foremost, but I go to great lengths to make it decorative as well. What is your technique in applying type to your artwork? I use ceramic decals. I create the files in Photoshop, and then get them printed at a ceramic printer. You apply them like a wet transfer and fire them to about 800° Celsius. They are quite temperamental in nature, but my artwork would make no sense without them. Figurative work seems have a dominant role in your artwork. Is there a reason why you gravitate towards the human body? My work is very literal. I am creating a visual gag, commenting on political and social issues. I think of my forms as actors, alive and running amok, and I am the director corralling them into cartoon frame. I use toy shapes to keep the message humorous and less didactic. Primarily I want to amuse and highlight the absurd. If I am able to make people think, that is just an added bonus.
Is typography important in order to understand your work? It’s very important. Often it’s the punch line. Unfortunately my creatures don’t speak, so along with the title, typography is the only way I can deliver the joke. I do not try to be subtle. I want people to understand what I am saying. Where do you get inspiration for your artwork? Various places; Looney Tunes, South Park, steampunk, science fiction, television, and the Victorian circus. I try to pick fonts that mirror what would really be used in the types of settings I am trying to imitate in my work. What do you take into account when creating a new piece? Color? Type? Context? Concept? It starts with finding something I want to comment on, and then I trying to find a gag, cliché, or well–recognized popular culture meme within which to situate the work. Afterwards, I think through the logistics of the construction. If I think it’s doable I then start. Thinking about the text and typeface comes near the end of the process, as the work has to be glaze fired first so my sizes for the decals are exact. What is your favorite typeface? Anything silly. Bistro Block, Wild West Shadow… anything that resembles or looks like a circus or cartoon.
103 Robyn Hosking
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Kathy KING United States
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TYPORAMICS
“My ultimate objective is to translate my own personal experience in relation to my culture, through narrative imagery on the utilitarian ceramic form.�
107 Kathy King
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We Need to Talk (Detail) Height: 2' | Width: 2' | Depth: 11" 2008 Mid Range Porcelain, Glaze
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athy King's work is inf luenced by feminism, pinup girls, comic books, and pop culture.
King's narrative pieces are done mainly from a woman's point of view. Her takes on such timely issues as body image, sexual orientation, and gender roles are crucial to her work's message. Sometimes that message employs sarcasm or satire; nevertheless, her main intention is for the viewer to be aware of these topics and to think about them. Through her pieces, Kathy King establishes her ideas about women’s identities and roles in society.
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You Are Soooo Straight Height: 12" | Width: 12" | Depth: 2" 2008 Carved Porcelain, Glaze, China Paint
You Are Sooo Gay (Girl Version) Height: 12" | Width: 12" | Depth: 2" 2008 Carved Porcelain, Glaze, China Paint
You Are Sooo Gay (Boy Version) Height: 12" | Width: 12" | Depth: 2" 2008 Carved Porcelain, Glaze, China Paint
You Are Sooo BiSexual Height: 12" | Width: 12" | Depth: 2" 2008 Carved Porcelain, Glaze, China Paint This Page
Love Me? Plate Height: 13" | Width: 13" | Depth: 2" 2008 Carved Porcelain, Glaze
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Blood, Sweat and Tears (Side A) Tallest: Height: 11' | Width: 5' | Depth: 5" 2011 Carved Porcelain, Glaze
We Need to Talk Height: 2' | Width: 2' | Depth: 11" 2008 Mid Range Porcelain, Glaze
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Kathy King
Do you have any graphic design background? No. I never considered that I could even draw until I began to carve into clay. Actually, I’m not so sure I can still! When did you start combining typography into your work? Prior to entering graduate school at the University of Florida, I hadn’t made the connection between my love of graphic novels, printmaking, and my ceramic work. I was actually a wood–fire potter (or thought I was.) Once I began to realize that the direct influences in my life were graphic novels and printmaking, I was able to investigate the idea of narrative in my work. I began to dissect the ceramic form into “panels” like a graphic novel, I began to tell stories that, quite naturally, seemed to welcome the inclusion of typography. Why do you use typography as part of your ceramic work? Often I will begin with one or two pieces that address a broad subject that will later lend itself to a larger installation. It is the difference between making a comment and having a full conversation. I’m a “talker,” and if I don’t feel done talking about a subject, or if the initial piece has inspired further thoughts on the subject that I would like to express, then it tends to turn into an installation. The best example was the reproduction series. It began with two stacked tulip vases that paid homage to women — one for my mother and one directed at the support of women for women in a family. It then turned into the first version of the To Reproduce Or Not To Reproduce installations with the fireplace. This created a setting for answering that question. The fireplace, to me, was a place of contemplation expressing the pros and cons a woman might consider when asked, “Are you going to have children?” I was happy with this piece but wanted to take a step further and look at the pros and cons in such categories as love, career, society, body, and time which appeared in each of the cradles accompanied by the rocking chair representing the “self.” As the concept and forms developed from individual pieces to installations, so did the use of type. Through the transition
above, I found a way to play between methods of using titles, word bubbles or mimicking advertising techniques. Whichever way I choose, I try to bring out the best out of the imagery with the way I use the text. Is your use of typography communicative or decorative? For the most part, the use of typography is communicative to the narrative. Over time, I began to struggle with how I was using text and worried that it was “too easy” to use words to explain where I was going with the concept. If the imagery alone cannot convey the art piece’s meaning, is it as strong? Around 2006–2010 I tried to be very mindful of overusing text. I address this time the “quiet period”. Overall, I feel that it was a good exercise to be thoughtful but emphasized that I do still find text powerful and now consider its decorative power as much as its communicative ability. What is your technique in applying type to your artwork? In terms of the actual imagery and text application, the key is sgraffito technique. I use porcelain covered with a black slip that is then carved, revealing the white clay beneath. Depending on the piece, the work is then glazed with translucent glazes (either clear or tinted with colorants) and then, in some cases, applied with china paints to enhance the color. Your artwork is full of social and political commentary. Do you think that typography is important in order to understand your work? It immediately made me think of the Labels I Have Enjoyed series, because the plates are present to represent the full spectrum of sexuality and identity (male, female homosexual, heterosexual, bisexual, and transgendered) but the title is more personal than the idea of inclusiveness would imply on its own. That series of plates was tricky to me. I was using stereotypes that could easily be taken the wrong way. The phrase “that is so gay” was common when I was growing up, although we had no idea what we were saying. In the plate
series, I wanted to use the phrase as a jumping–off point, with humor, to embrace stereotypes across the board and point out that most are shared. The one that stands out to me as being a little different is the plate for Transgendered. It asks for health insurance, a basic need for everyone but, sadly, difficult to achieve within the transgendered community which looks for sensitive assistance. I struggled with that art piece, as it certainly wasn’t as “light” as the others, but I truly felt it was important to include. Where do you get inspiration for your artwork? God, that is too big of a question! Short answer; color comes from woodcuts. Objects come from a study of 17th–century European Porcelains — those high–end items that were so over–the–top for their function (oyster trays, tulipieres) but were used as imagery canvases for narratives of daily life. The “knock–off” aspect of trying to emulate the Chinese export porcelains makes them all the more delicious. I would say my aesthetic is balanced with the lumpy–bumpy quality of Southern face jugs that I was exposed to while teaching in the South. Typography is highly influenced by placement of text on tattoos — especially American Traditional as well as a variety of more contemporary graphic novelists such as Julie Douchet, Daniel Clowes, and Charles Burns are my favorites. What do you take into account when creating a new piece? Color? Type? Context? Concept? Concept always comes first, and then the form is set to present the imagery in combination with the text — either in a singular or installation format. What is your favorite typeface? Anything Sailor Jerry used.
TYPORAMICS
Nancy KUBALE United States
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TYPORAMICS
113 Nancy Kubale
“I am intrigued by what we think, do and say, by who we are and how we live, and the ideologies we embrace.�
N
ancy Kubale's figurative artwork explores the mysteries of what makes us human.
Using the human body as the main vessel for consciousness, Kubale's work seeks to decipher existential problems. The artist asks her audience to see themselves through her work. Nancy Kubale's artwork showcases the complexities and contradictions we face as humans and as members of society.
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Out of the Box Height: 36" | Width: 12" | Depth: 12" Ceramic, wire 2013 opposite page
We The Living Height: 24" | Width: 5" | Depth: 4" Ceramic, wite, rocks, fabric 2013
TYPORAMICS
Do you have any graphic design background? No. When did you start combining type into your ceramic artwork? I worked in mixed media while attending college (1975–79), and have frequently used text in my work ever since. Why do you use typography as part of your artwork? I think the combination of text and image is infinite. The words bring a design element and further the work’s discourse. Is your use of type communicative or decorative? Sometimes communicative and some others, especially when I purposely obscure the words, only decorative. What is your technique in applying type to your artwork? I use an underglaze pencil when it’s handwritten. I use letterset stamps with oxides when it’s imprinted. I occasionally incise with a ceramic tool. Also, I occasionally create a decal on my computer. My printer uses an oxide ink that goes on decal paper and is then fired on. Your work is figurative. What draws you to the human form? The body is the box that consciousness comes in, and so I make the “box”. These pieces can be statements of our shared existence or questions that are never fully answered. I’m always seeking ubiquitous and global truths. I know that people are important. Where do you get inspiration for your art pieces? I am intrigued by what we think, do, and say, by who we are, by how we live and the ideologies we embrace.
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Lost Height: 24" | Width: 10" | Depth: 4" Ceramic, rope 2012
Serenity Height: 8" | Width: 11.5" | Depth: 7.5" Ceramic 2013
What do you take into account when creating a new artwork? The piece begins mostly with concept. As the design evolves, context, type, and color. Do you think that typography is important for the viewer to understand your artwork? Not always — and I hope that the figure carries the meaning. But in some pieces the text is very important; attached as things that distinguish and define a life (attributes.) What is your favorite typeface? I don’t know the names and I use all kinds. I like type that looks like children’s books (I think that is Times New Roman), and I really like something handwritten; evidence of the hand.
115 Nancy Kubale
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Kris LEACH United States
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Hush Now II (Detail) Height: 12" | Width: 10" | Depth: 4" 2014 Cone 6 Stoneware this page
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Wisdom II Height: 15" | Width: 18" | Depth: 1.5" 2014 Cone 6 Stoneware
Potential Man Height: 15" | Width: 18" | Depth: 1.5" 2014 Cone 6 Stoneware
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ris Leach's powerful narrative art reflects her love for powerful images and good stories.
Leach is interested in taking the viewer through time. She often uses her own story to tell the tales. She hopes that viewers will find a connection with their own stories, and see themselves ref lected in her artwork. Leach's skillful combination of images, text, and colorful patterns creates layers of depth and meaning, giving the work’s statement greater impact. Krish Leach's love for a good story, either hers or someone else's, makes her art pieces into readable narratives.
119 Kris Leach
“I have turned my attention to creating new methods for monoprinting and resist treatments that allow me the freedom to create crisp, multilayered surfaces.�
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Wisdom I Height: 15" | Width: 18" | Depth: 1.5" 2014 Cone 6 Stoneware
In the Beginning Height: 15" | Width: 18" | Depth: 1.5" 2014 Cone 6 Stoneware
TYPORAMICS
Do you have any graphic design background? No. My fascination with text really stems from a lifelong love of books, both for the stories they hold and for how they look and feel. When did you start combining typography into artwork? I started working with image transfer in college, but it wasn't until my most recent work that typography and surface became my primary focus. Why do you use typography as part of your ceramic art? Form, image, and text are all elements that help illustrate a story or part of a it. Each element supports the narrative of the piece. Is your use of typography communicative or decorative? Both. I enjoy the initial visual impact of text, but I also choose and/or compose text that is an integral part of a piece’s content. What is your technique in applying type to your artwork? I use a laser print resist method to create mono print transfers. opposite page
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Cityscape Height: 12" | Width: 5" | Depth: 5" 2014 Cone 6 Stoneware
Tick Tock Height: 12" | Width: 5" | Depth: 5" 2014 Cone 6 Stoneware
Gotcha Height: 12" | Width: 5" | Depth: 5" 2014 Cone 6 Stoneware
Hush Now I Height: 12" | Width: 10" | Depth: 4" 2014 Cone 6 Stoneware
Hush Now II Height: 12" | Width: 10" | Depth: 4" 2014 Cone 6 Stoneware
Utilitarian ware (cups, platters, vases) seem to play a central role in the form and meaning of your artwork. Why is that? I come from a sculpting background, so I see these functional forms as relating to the body in shape and in use. The relationship between these types of everyday functional forms and the stories I'm telling of everyday people has become stronger as I delve deeper into this work. Is typography important in order to understand your artwork? Absolutely. The typography really ties in imagery and form. Where do you get inspiration for your ceramic artwork? I'm an avid reader and listener. Really, I'm looking to celebrate the everyday experience. So the people I meet, books I'm reading, favorite fairy tales from childhood, my family, even a radio interview are all seeds for my pieces. What do you take into account when creating a new art piece? The story ultimately comes first. Although I'm often initially inspired by images, I always look for what an image says. I flesh out the story I want to tell and then decide on each element of form, function, imagery, text, and color that will best illustrate the narrative of the artwork. What is your favorite typeface? UglyQua and American Typewriter.
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Kris Leach
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Gayla LEMKE United States
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“My imagery is mostly influenced by oceanic and tribal symbolism, though it often makes a statement reflective of the current socio–political atmosphere.”
125 Gayla Lemke
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he ceramic work of Gayla Lemke is inspired by political statements current events, and tribal art.
Lemke's narrative works take different shapes: figures, artifacts, vessels. They showcase her own experiences and express her point of view on issues that she cares about. Some of the work that Lemke produces is interactive in nature. She allows viewers to play with it—to take it into their own hands and arrange it in meaningful ways. This is how the artwork finds its purpose. Gayla Lemke’s pieces express her thoughts and, in the process, create ways for people to find their own truth by being active participants in the final act of presentation.
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Hope Stones (Detail) Installation size | 3' diameter aprox. 2004 Stoneware opposite page
Written in Stones - Haiku Height: 3' | Width: 6' | Depth: 3' with Table 2014 Stoneware this page
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Breathe Height: 18" | Width: 11" | Depth: 3" 2013 Stoneware
Teeter Height: 20" | Width: 9" | Depth: 3" 2013 Stoneware
TYPORAMICS
Do you have any graphic design background? I took a commercial art class through a vocational training school in 1985–86 while I was in graduate school. It was all done by hand; no computer graphics at all. Cut and paste was literally cut and paste. I was also responsible for courtroom graphics layouts while working and living as a paralegal in Florida between 1987 and 1990. When did you start combining type into your ceramic art? Prior to doing ceramic work, I was a printmaker. While I did not use text in my actual images, I was very conscious of my titles; they were a big part of my work. So when I started doing ceramic sculpture, titles continued to be important elements of the work. I think my first real use of text as part of my work itself was a series I did in 2001 called Guilt By Association. The series included pairs of figurative work, one figure being a mythological woman and the other one her contemporary counterpart. Each had a paragraph describing her which was posted with the pieces. There was a bit of humor and satire included in the narrative. Why do you use typography as part of your artwork? I enjoy writing and the use of “word” as an art form, therefore incorporating text into my work is a way of combining my love for writing with visual art making. opposite page
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Wishes Height: 9" | Width: 9" | Depth: 9" Five Spheres 2014 Stoneware
Hope Stones Installation size | 3' diameter aprox. 2004 Stoneware
Is your use of typography communicative or decorative? My use of type can be both communicative and decorative, but it is primarily communicative. I often use full sentences or quotes, and most recently have been using single words. What is your technique in applying type to your artwork? I use several methods for applying type to my work, depending a lot on the scale. I use individual letter stamps in both rubber stamp and steel stamp form. I also have a variety of “letters” that I have found that I can use as outlines or impressions. Sometimes I just carve them or use coils to attach them.
You seem to always leave the surface of your pieces untreated and devoid of glazing. Is there a reason for that choice? I don’t use a lot of glazes because I like the look and feel of the raw clay. I use underglazes and stains for most of my color. Since my work is basically non–functional, the use of glaze isn’t required. I will say that I do occasionally use a clear glaze over certain areas of my artwork. It is all an aesthetic choice specific to each piece. Is typography important in order to understand your work? I think that typography is important to the understanding of my work in some pieces but not all. Obviously in the haiku installation, Written in Stones, the typography is crucial to the work, as it is in Hope Stones, the ball series with full quotes impressed on the pieces. I would say in some of the other work, the text isn’t needed to understand the work, but it is part of the piece, so without it, the work wouldn’t be the same. Where do you get inspiration for your artwork? My inspiration comes from the world around me. It varies depending on what is currently happening in my personal life and in the socio–political realm as well. What do you take into account when creating a new piece? Color? Type? Context? Concept? I guess the first thing that happens for me when creating new work is the context. Is it for a show deadline? Is the show a one–person or a group? Is there a theme? Or is it work that is part of “playing” and exploring in my studio? The answer feeds the conceptual portion of the piece, with color and type most likely being the last factors. What is your favorite typeface? I don’t have a favorite typeface for my work as it depends on each piece. As far as when I am typing, writing or composing, my current favorite is Arial.
127 Gayla Lemke
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Jordi MARCET & Rosa VILA-ABADAL Spain
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131 Jordi Marcet Rosa Vila–Abadal
“Sometimes we only want to take pleasure in the mere contemplation of the ceramics that we see as a sculpture. At other times we have the impulsive wish to touch it and use it, because in it we see reflected the everyday use of a beautiful container.”
C
atalan artists, Jordi Marcet and Rosa Vila–Abadal, are known for their beautifully ceramic pieces.
Marcet and Vila–Abadal's inspiration for their artwork, comes from their design backgrounds. Design, along with geometry and abstraction, plays an important role in their pieces. Marcet and Vila–Abadal’s artwork is mostly sculptural and abstract, although the basis of the pieces is utilitarian ware. Taking cues from the colorful ceramics of Catalunya (in northern Spain), the artists draw ideas for their work and the finishes that the pieces will have. The stunning artwork of Jordi Marcet and Rosa Vila–Abadal is the perfect combination of excellent form, thoughtout pattern, and three–dimensional typography.
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Feix (Detail) Height: 5.5" | Width: 20" | Depth: 20" 2014 Porcelain opposite page
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Cubs (cubes) Height: 9" | Width: 9" | Depth: 9" 2013 Porcelain
Sopa de Lletres (Alphabet Soup) Height: 20" | Width: 20" | Depth: 10" 2008 Stoneware this page
Paraules (Words) Height: 11" | Width: 11" | Depth: 12" 2004 Stoneware
TYPORAMICS
Do you have any graphic design background? At the Massana school in Barcelona we studied ceramics, and at the Eina school, also in Barcelona, we studied industrial design. At that time, when there were no computers, we were required to take graphic design classes in order to create our own catalogs and brochures. When did start combining typography into your ceramic art? We had used typography in previous projects way before we started using it with our ceramic work. We used to produce posters and other marketing materials for gallery shows and cultural events, but it was in 2003 that typography started making its way into our ceramics. Why do you use typography as part of your artwork? We have always been very interested in typography through books, newspapers, posters, etc. We love the semantics and semiotics of typography. opposite page
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Feix (Bundle) Height: 5.5" | Width: 20" | Depth: 20" 2014 Porcelain
Menys ĂŠs MĂŠs (Less is More) Height: 6" | Width: 9" | Depth: 9" 2005 Stoneware
Is your use of typography communicative or decorative? It depends. In some pieces, typography is used to communicate or denounce a specific event or topic. In others it is used as playful forms, and in others it is used to complement certain ceramic forms. What is your technique in applying type to your artwork? Volumetric typography is first drawn and then cut out by hand. Flat typography is applied via serigraphy. Three dimensional lettering along with color minimalism play important roles in your work. Are those choices made in order to give form and meaning to your pieces?
It is a matter of complementing and contrasting the different elements. The use of minimal color is purposely done in order to contrast with the lettering and vice versa. Is typography important in order to understand your work and to have those points to come across to the viewer? It is important in order to understand some pieces, because typography is the central core of the artwork itself. In the end, the viewer reacts to art in a visceral manner more than a rational one. Either you like the art or you don’t. It moves you or leaves you cold. Where do you get inspiration for your artwork? Concept is first, followed by form and meaning. We also take into account whether the artwork will sit by itself or be a part of a larger group of pieces. Color and typography eventually will also be taken into account. What is your favorite typeface? It all depends. We love comic book lettering or newspaper print. We also love constructivist and revolutionary lettering found in 1930's posters, or the free style of the 1970's hippies posters. One of our favorites is the lettering produced by the typewriter Valentine by Olivetti.
133 Jordi Marcet Rosa Vila–Abadal
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Jason MESSINGER United States
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J
ason Messinger's busy modular work plays with reality and abstraction; with words and images.
Messinger's tile arrangements are narratives; they can be interpreted as single forms, or be placed in a grid structure and interpreted as a whole. The source of the text comes from the artist own thoughts or, in some other cases, from classic literature. The words are not just decorative; they are meant to be read and processed. Jason Messinger's explosion of color and typography is a great example of the power of words in three窶電imensional interpretation.
137 Jason Messinger
“I find that great typography can be used as both a straight representational reference to a specific word or language, and a graphic image that can be devoid of ‘meaning’ and instead creates its own emotional state.” previous spread page
The Quick Brown Fox Height: 12" | Width: 12" | Depth: 2" 2011 Whiteware, Glaze, Wooden Frame Back opposite page
Alice Height: 60" | Width: 96" | Depth: 1.5" 2007 Whiteware, Glaze, Wooden Frame Back Commissioned for the Chicago Public Library in Austin, Irving Branch this page
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SexGod BoyToy PornStar Height: 8" | Width: 32" | Depth: 1.5" 2006 Whiteware, Glaze, Wooden Frame Back
Wake Up Do Good Height: 16" | Width: 68" | Depth: 1.5" 2013 Whiteware, Glaze, Wooden Frame Back
TYPORAMICS
Do you have a Graphic Design background? My undergraduate degree in classical Liberal Arts education at Bard College at Simon’s Rock, emphasized the primacy of written language in conveying thought. I finished my studies at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, with a Fine Art Degree with a focus on painting and filmmaking. I did not “discover” ceramic art until my final semester. That being said, I am drawn to the Graphic Arts as a source of inspiration in my artwork.
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Money Talks Height: 12" | Width: 12" | Depth: 2" 2011 Whiteware, Glaze, Wooden Frame Back
The Quick Brown Fox Height: 12" | Width: 12" | Depth: 2" 2011
Whiteware, Glaze, Wooden Frame Back Lost in Translation Height: 12" | Width: 12" | Depth: 2" 2011 Whiteware, Glaze, Wooden Frame Back
Why War Jokes Height: 12" | Width: 12" | Depth: 2" 2009 Whiteware, Glaze, Wooden Frame Back
When did you start combining typography into your work? My artwork has always been concerned with the boundary area between abstraction and representation. When my work turned from a primarily sculpture–based practice to one that included wall installations of various handmade ceramic tiles, I started exploring the idea of symbolical ideograms, with images that distilled something realistic into an abstracted form. These works, called Symbologies, create images that are open–ended in their meaning, allowing the viewer to bring their own particular interpretation to the images. At that time, I had already created a series of serving platters with lists of commonly themed words embossed into the ceramic; fishes, vegetables, fruits, “Special Occasion” meals, and “White Trash” dishes. I used rubber stamps to impress the letters in the clay, and became fascinated with the graphic quality of the results. These two ideas, type and symbols, naturally led me to start exploring the idea of typography as a pathway to symbolic representation and abstraction. Why do you use typography as part of your artwork? I find that typography can be used as both a representational reference to a specific word or language as well as a graphic image that can be devoid of meaning and instead create its own emotional state. The ambiguity and idea that typography can convey remains exciting to me.
Is your use of type communicative of decorative? I find it functions as both in parallel. It can convey specific meaning through a word/s, but it can also convey emotion or mood, or become a pure abstracted form. What is your technique in applying type to your artwork? I use a variety of techniques including embossing stamping into clay, free brush painted calligraphy, and, most extensively, a stenciling technique that I developed. Why do you work in a grid structure? I find the tile square shape lends itself naturally to grid–like groupings. I am interested in the narrative structure such form produces. It creates a frieze–like, hieroglyphic or cartoon panel–like structure, where the viewer reads all of the image. However, I also subvert that structure, as I purposely allow the works to be rearranged in any order, sequence or configuration, giving the curator or owner the ability to “reset” the narrative. I find the grid remains endlessly exciting. Why do you mostly use sans–serif fonts on your pieces? I am drawn to sans–serif fonts for their “clean” graphic look, and because they are, in large part, the font of signage and of the modern era. Also, I find that my obscuring of the fonts through placement and various layering can become lost or too illegible with serif fonts. What do you take into consideration when creating new art? All of these, plus emotion, meaning, ambiguity, texture, ref lexivity of the glazes, and the endless variations between the elements of a series. What is your favorite typeface? I don’t have a favorite, since all fonts and typefaces have their own unique beautiful charms and proportional strengths and weaknesses. Since I am not using typefaces in the traditional way of creating readability, I can focus more on the “tonal” qualities of the fonts.
139 Jason Messinger
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Lilianne MILGROM United States
141
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143 Lilianne Milgrom
“Though my body of work is eclectic, it is defined by a conscious balance between the conceptual and the aesthetic.�
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Ruins of Mutanabi Street Height: 8" | Width: 11" | Depth: 0.75" 2005 Hand built Porcelain this page
Tell me no secrets Height: 4" | Width: 6.5" | Depth: 2" 2008 Hand built and Lettered Stoneware
L
illianne Milgrom's diverse work in ceramics, reflects her deep love for art and literature.
Milgrom's diverse cultural background, along with her interest in the written word, provides inspiration for her ceramic pieces. She believes that art and text go hand in hand; there is no question in her mind that typography is essential to her own artwork. Lilliane Milgrom's pieces combine different art disciplines, allowing the artist to engage viewers through a richer and more complex visual language.
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Do you have any graphic design background? I actually began my artistic career as a graphic designer in Israel. I did not have any formal training, but I interned with a designer whose forte was creating new typefaces in Hebrew for use in creating logos and album covers for local bands. The letters were all hand drawn on vellum with ink. Very taxing and labor intensive work. When did you start combining type into your ceramic art? I think my very earliest ceramic works, going back twenty years, used elements of typography. I have always drawn much inspiration from the written word. Why do you use typography as part of your artwork? For me, art and literature are inseparable — they go hand in hand. As an artist, I derive visual imagery from text. Conversely, art often inspires me to write. There is also an intrinsically artistic aspect to letters themselves, whether they stand alone or are part of a word or a sentence. They add an entire world of added cognitive meaning to one’s artwork. Is your use of typography communicative or decorative? I would say that my primary intent is communicative, but the type itself lends the work a decorative element. What is your technique in applying type to your artwork? I have used various techniques, from painting letters onto the surface with underglazes, stenciling crudely with paper stencils, and using Wintergreen oil on the back of photocopies pressed onto bisque ware. This process cannot be fired, as the resulting transfer would burn off. It is permanent enough for non–functional ceramic work. opposite page
T-POT Height: 7" | Width: 6" | Depth: 1.5" 2007 Hand built Porcelain, Engobe, Clear Glaze
Books are a recurring shape you use mostly to convey form and meaning to your artwork. Why is that? Books are absolutely essential in my life: I have always been an avid reader and writer. Reading plays directly into my creative process. However, I would not say that books are the
predominant shape for my text–based work. The book series from my Living Without Them exhibition were relevant to the theme of book destruction and the attempts by subversive powers throughout history to suppress books in an attempt to destroy culture. Is typography important in order to understand your work? I would hope that the inclusion of text in my work adds an intellectual dimension, but ultimately the understanding of a particular work of art is totally in the hands of the viewer. Where do you get inspiration for your artwork? I have created an entire series of ceramic sculptural works after reading mass–mailed jokes that came through an email. I have also been inspired by newspaper headlines. Mostly though, I highlight sentences and phrases that touch me on a personal level in my various readings. The resulting objects and color decisions are the outcomes of visual imagery that comes to me through the words. What do you take into account when creating a new piece? Color? Type? Context? Concept? I strongly believe that concept and aesthetics have to play an equal part in order for a piece to be truly successful. What is your favorite typeface? Helvetica, Garamond, Impact. The typeface has to match the concept I am trying to convey. I will take a lot of time considering which typeface fits the work. Of course when I decide to use newsprint, I have no control over the typeface, and sometimes crude handwriting is called for.
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Lilianne Milgrom
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Connie NORMAN United States
147
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“All my life I have struggled with writing, now my work is completely covered in text. This paradigm shift has allowed me to experiment in different art forms, and face fears through the medium of art.�
149 Connie Norman
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Plenty of Love Height: 12" | Width: 5" | Depth: 5" White Earthenware 2011
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onnie Norman's ceramic work is a great combination of utilitarian ware and beautiful sculpture.
Norman creates pieces where text plays a primary role. This key role goes beyond the written word; typography becomes pattern, rhythm, and texture. Her whimsical artwork is filled with all types of surface decoration, and Norman plays with those to create pieces that not only can be used in our everyday lives, but also can be admired as singular objects. Connie Norman’s quest for the aesthetically pleasing objects in our daily lives, along with her exploration of form and decoration, make her work feast of typography and ceramics.
Plenty of Love Cake Plate Height: 2.5" | Width: 6" | Depth: 6" 2013 Terracotta
Guilty Pleasures Cake Plate Height: 2.5" | Width: 9" | Depth: 9" 2013 Terracotta
You Are So Loved Cake Plate Height: 2.5" | Width: 12" | Depth: 12" 2013 Terracotta this page
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Prairie Legacy Height: 20" | Width: 16" | Depth: 6" 2010 Earthenware
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Do you have any graphic design background? I do not have a graphic design background, but I do have a degree from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. When did you start combining typography into your artwork? My background was mixed media sculpture but predominantly clay. I was trying to tell stories of my life, using irons and kitchen scenes, and working with the idea of contradictions. I was making irons from flammable materials such as hay and paper. My irons would take on anthropomorphic characteristics in the kitchen, which contradicts their intended roles. I was playing with the concepts and conflicts of the female role in today’s world. Eventually I started to use words on my sculptures. After not having a studio for several years, I was able to get back to work, and changed my body of work to ceramic vessels. When I first started hand building pots and vessels, I was incorporating a large amount of texture onto my pottery. Soon after that text became a big part of my ceramic artwork.
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Conversation Cups Height: 4" | Width: 3" | Depth: 3" Terracotta 2012
Denver Takayama 50th Anniversary Height: 9" | Width: 5" | Depth: 5" White Earthenware 2010 Denver International Airport Commission For Takayama, Japan: Mayor Mamoru Tsuchino
Heart Brains and Courage Height: 16" | Width: 8.5" | Depth: 8.5" 2013 Terracotta
Why do you use typography as part of your ceramic artwork? It is very ironic that all my life I have struggled with writing, and now my work is completely covered in words and text. After I started making pots and vessels, I began to miss the storytelling elements of sculpture. I create artwork that is about my inner dialogue, stories that I want to tell, snippets of conversation, and memories. I try to use phrases personal to me, but which also have a universal meaning, so anyone who reads the mantra on my pots can interweave their own meaning into it. But I was missing the storytelling element of my sculptures, so I started to integrate text onto my pots, and this would act as texture and storytelling. My first art show after I started using text was appropriately called Text as Texture. Is your use of typography communicative or decorative? Text has texture, pattern; an added mystery and a path to look inward to decipher a glimpse into my private thoughts. I repeat a mantra that the viewer will have to decipher when reading the text. I am fascinated by the rhythmic qualities created by color, texture, and patterns. Decoration and the act of decorating are essential; they celebrate and enhance form, and speak purely of aesthetics. I use pottery as a vehicle to explore decoration and other formal questions. It allows me to investigate form, space, and, of course, image. One of my greatest satisfactions comes
from thoroughly filling all surfaces with color and detailed decoration. My main attempt is to make the environment an expressive participant, and to address the importance of aesthetics in our daily lives. What is your technique in applying typography to your art? I painstakingly press each letter individually into the clay. After the vessel has been bisque I apply black glaze over the text and wipe the extra glaze into the letters. Vessels seem to play a central role in the form and meaning of your work. Is there a reason for that choice? I use my vessels as my canvas to design. I am fascinated by the rhythmic qualities created by color, texture and patterns. Decoration is essential to me because I am celebrating and trying to enhance the form and surface. Is typography important in order to understand your work? I don’t think many people come with a typography background when they see my work. Generally in reception I answer many questions on letter pressing and typeset. Where do you get inspiration for your artwork? My inspiration comes from my life. For instance I made a vessel titled This is How I Remember; This is How I Forgot. I wrote down a line which indicated to me the actual line where my father’s memory was gradually fading from Alzheimer’s. After he passed away, many pieces were about becoming the keeper of my father's memories. The vessel titled Bone and Muscle deals with my husband and his love of martial arts. He usually competes in full–contact karate, and the mantra that travels through my mind is, “What will happen to his bones and muscles?” Now many of my art pieces are about how my son interprets the world. For example, the piece Gibberish is My New Language is about him learning how to speak. What do you take into account when creating a new piece? Now that I have integrated type with the design of my work, when I dream up new work I think about the shape and where the type will go. I design pieces that are fairly simple in shape, so I can fill the space with text and decoration. What is your favorite typeface? One of my all–time favorite typefaces is Papyrus. I think it is beautiful and very elegant. I wish I had it in typeset.
151 Connie Norman
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Graciela OLIO Argentina
153
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“The simplicity of the dwelling, made up of printed cardboard, shows the sad reality we have been facing for years now.�
155 Graciela Olio
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raciela Olio’s inspiration for her art comes directly from her own backyard in South America.
Olio's interest in racial identity and belonging has allowed her to produce a wonderful series around the iconic word “home.” Taking in the dwellings that she sees everyday in her own country and the rest of Latin America, she bases her works on what she observes. Olio is fascinated by how people have created their homes. Some homes are modest or simple. Some others are broken or on the verge of collapsing. Nevertheless, those dwellings are what some people call home. Graciela Olio's beautiful and delicate ceramic work is a true testament to the spirit and endurance of humans in their quest for belonging.
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Proyecto Sur, Serie Home (Detail) Height: 6" | Width: 4" | Depth: 4.5" 2010 Printed Photoceramic Porcelain opposite page
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Proyecto Sur, Serie Home Height: 6" | Width: 6" | Depth: 6" 2010 Printed Photoceramic Porcelain
Proyecto Sur, Serie Home Height: 6" | Width: 6" | Depth: 6" 2010 Printed Photoceramic Porcelain this page
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Proyecto Sur, Serie Home Height: 6" | Width: 4" | Depth: 4.5" 2010 Printed Photoceramic Porcelain
Proyecto Sur, Serie Home Height: 4" | Width: 4" | Depth: 4.5" 2010 Printed Photoceramic Porcelain
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Proyecto Sur, Serie Home Height: 6" | Width: 4" | Depth: 4.5" 2010 Printed Photoceramic Porcelain
Proyecto Sur, Serie Home Height: 4" | Width: 4" | Depth: 4.5" 2010 Printed Photoceramic Porcelain
Proyecto Sur, Serie Home Height: 4" | Width: 4" | Depth: 4.5" 2010 Printed Photoceramic Porcelain
Proyecto Sur, Serie Home Height: 6" | Width: 6" | Depth: 6" 2010 Printed Photoceramic Porcelain
Do you have any graphic design background? I do not have any schooling in graphic design, although I am fascinated by design in all its aspects. I have a BFA in ceramics from the Facultad de Bellas Artes de la Universidad Nacional de La Plata in Argentina. Once I finished college, I also studied printmaking and took some photography classes. When did you start combining typography into your work? Probably in 2008 with a project series called “Proyecto Sur.” Why do you use typography as part of your ceramic artwork? It is part of the communicative message conveyed. Is your use of type communicative or decorative? It is mainly communicative. What is your technique in applying type to your artwork? I use a variety of techniques in order to apply my type; gum bichromate photo ceramics, direct photocopying transfers, and digital and manual vitrificable stickers. Dwellings, in particular houses, seem to play a predominant role in the form and meaning of your artwork. Why is that? Houses are a very impactful signs. They are iconic images that stand for refuge and protection, refer to a specific era, and are a symbol of economic and social status in society.
Do you think that typography is an important aspect in order to understand your work and to have those points to come across to the viewer? Yes, but it is not the most important thing. It is part of the overall message, but not “the message” in itself. Where do you get inspiration for your ceramic artwork? I get my inspiration from life itself, mainly from the landscape of poverty in Latin America and its humble houses. What do you take into account when creating a new piece? Color? Type? Context? Concept? I usually start with the concept which is later translated into contextualized objects where typography, form, material, color etc, get visualized. What is your favorite typeface? I do not have a favorite typeface.
157 Graciela Olio
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Jeanne OPGENHAFFEN Belgium
159
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“I try to express my feelings within the boundary of a square. I hope to show the essence of strong movement in a simple way, made with single basic elements.�
161 Jeanne Opgenhaffen
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eanne Opgenhaffen's inspiration is the beauty of organic nature and the mystery of its environment.
Opgenhaffen is known for creating hundreds of paper–thin porcelain pieces that, when arranged in a particular way, reveal a bigger picture. Her work is fragile and delicate in nature; it carries a sense of lightness. At the same time, the rhythm and repetition of the pieces give them a sense of weight. Jeanne Opgenhaffen’s interest in movement, form, composition, and attention to detail gives the viewer something truly to admire.
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Petrified Witnesses Height: 40" | Width: 40" 1993 Porcelain
Paradise Lost Height: 39" | Width: 63" 1994 Porcelain this page
With Simple Words Height: 25.5" | Width: 25.5" 2008 Porcelain
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163
Jeanne Opgenhaffen
Do you have any graphic design background? I do not have a graphic design background per say, but I was a fine arts teacher for 40 years. When did you start combining typography and ceramic art? I started using typography in my porcelain work around 1993. After taking a screen printing workshop, where we created decals and tiles, I became interested in type. I had the idea of using various images and graphics out of newspapers. That idea turned the texts into porcelain art. Why do you use typography as part of your ceramic artwork? Typography is a way to showcase some of the “diseases” that people face within the hall of modern society and that keep being portrayed in newspapers and magazines; corruption, war, drugs, the destruction of nature, road accidents, hunger… Is your use of typography communicative or decorative? I use typography as part of the composition, but it does not have to have a communicative purpose all the time. What is your technique in applying type to your artwork? I use the seemingly magic, though scientifically explicable, technique of decalcomania. I use magazines and newspapers for my content.
Your work is mostly displayed as a mural form. What draws you into that specific format? I try to express my feelings, thoughts, and ideas within the boundary of a square. The mural is the most straightforward way to display those squares. Where do you get your inspiration for both typography and object, for your work? I take a lot of references from the organic world in my artwork; a strong movement with single basic elements made in a simple way. Repetitive structures, pure form values and light and shadow are also taken into account in order to produce a unique effect. What do you take into account when creating a new piece? Color? Type? Context? Concept? The overall composition of the piece is the most important aspect. Rhythm and movement are always present as part of the basic elements. I use little color, and only as a resting point. Is typography important in order to understand your work? No, I don’t think so. I use typography as a tool. What is your favorite typeface? I prefer a clear simple font as Arial.
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Cijfers en Letters Height: 59" | Width: 59" 1997 Porcelain Commission Flemish Community
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Vijay PANIKER United States
165
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167 Vijay Paniker
V
ijay Paniker's background in industry plays an important role in his ceramic artwork.
Paniker likes the connection between objects and the story they tell. His fascination with machines and tools started at an early age and has never left him. He creates his work out of this fascination, yet Paniker treats his objects as cultural artifacts and allows them to tell their own stories. For Paniker, the tools that create the object are as important as the object itself. His realistic pieces may initially fool the eye, but when we look closer we find their essence.
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Safety Can Height: 9.5" | Width: 5.75" | Depth: 8.25" 2014 Stoneware, Waterslide Decal this page
Three Cans Height: 6.75" | Width: 3" | Depth: 1.75" Each Stoneware, Luster, Waterslide Decal 2006 opposite page
Pan Co Propane Teapot Height: 5.75" | Width: 4" | Depth: 8.75" Stoneware 2012
“I realized my ceramic pieces could become the matrix to tell a larger, shared narrative.�
TYPORAMICS
Do you have any graphic design background? No, I do not have any graphic design training or background. When did you start combining typography into your work? I started combining typography almost immediately after I made the switch to trompe l’oeil art. It was a purposeful decision to add type to my pieces to make them more convincing to the viewer and to me. The first four pieces I made in trompe l’oeil had no type on them, and to me they just read as pottery.
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Panco Gas Cans Height: 10" | Width: 7" | Depth: 4.75" Each 2006 Stoneware, Luster, Waterslide Decal
Pan Co Propane Teapot Height: 5.75" | Width: 4" | Depth: 8.75" 2012 Stoneware
Pan Co Propane Teapot Height: 7" | Width: 7.25" | Depth: 13.5" 2007 Stoneware
Safety Can Height: 9.5" | Width: 5.75" | Depth: 8.25" 2014 Stoneware, Waterslide Decal
Why do you use typography as part of your ceramic artwork? I use typography for three reasons. The first and most important is to make the pieces as convincing as possible. I want to make the piece I’m working on to look like the object I am referencing. Since most of those objects have type on them, I have type on my pieces too. The second reason is to add little inside joke that are more for certain friends and myself than they are for the rest of the viewers. I may add a generic quip that I hope anyone can understand. Other than that, most of the type is based on the type from the original object. The third reason is simply decoration. Some of my pieces are not elaborate labels that are meant to make you believe they are made of a different material. Instead, they read as pottery and I want them to read as pottery, so I make simple stencils to add type as a surface treatment. Is your use of typography communicative or decorative? I separate the works to which I add type into three categories. One is what I classify as strict trompe l’oeil ceramics, in that it directly references another object produced by a different material other than ceramics—more often than not, metal. In this case, the type is both decorative and communicative. I didn't design these labels outright. Someone with a graphic design background did. Instead, I manipulate the existing label to personalize it. In doing that, it becomes communicative, because the type is littered with my personal narrative. It also becomes decorative, in that the original designer of the label did so to be attractive, therefore that's what attracted me to want to make that piece! The second category is more functional pottery with stenciled type added as a surface treatment. This is significantly more decorative than communicative. The third is a hybrid of the two above. I use labels to convey a message (communicating parts of my personal narrative) but the pieces themselves are more imaginative trompe l’oeil pieces, in that they don’t refer to an existing object.
What is your technique in applying typography to your art? I use handmade stencils to apply cone 6 glaze on my functional pieces. For the trompe l’oeil pieces, I use a water slide transfer paper to add type. You seem to be drawn to industrial objects. What lures you to those when it comes to showcasing your artwork? As far back as I can remember, I had an interest in mechanical objects and the tools associated with those. After college I worked as a carpenter and took jobs in the industrial trades. Those experiences are very much expressed in my work. Color and typography seem to play an important role in your artwork. Can you elaborate on that? In the of trompe l’oeil pieces, where I manipulate an existing label, it is a gut reaction. The object has to catch my eye. I think that works in that the original object has something, that in some form, is eye–catching. For the other categories, I will say there is more thought. I want to make the piece aesthetically pleasing, first and foremost. I tend to pick out my color palette for the overall surface first. Then, in the case of the stenciled pieces, I find the type that I feel will fit the mood of the piece, modify it to fit my stencil process, and then decide on the color of the type. I go through a similar thought process for type on the hybrid labels. I have a greater degree of freedom when choosing typography and color mainly because the labeling process is done on the computer. What do you take into account when creating a new piece? Color and concept tend to greatly outweigh type and context but I think type is a huge part of the concept and therefore of the context. I think by focusing on concept and type, context falls into place. Is typography important in order to understand your work? I think typography is important only in the context of the overall piece. That is, my work isn’t type–based. Type is used in the overall design and is a part of the context of the piece. What is your favorite typeface? I am split between Times New Roman, Helvetica or Arial. I tend to like a serif type when type is meant to be a decorative aspect of a label like the logo, and sans–serif when I use type for listing information. It depends on how I feel about the piece.
169 Vijay Paniker
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Mariko PATERSON Canada
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“My work runs two separate gamuts as of late. One could be described as a subversive blend of historical and hysterical while the other line combines a love of illustration with a touch of function.�
173 Mariko Paterson
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ariko Paterson's deep love of history and historical figures is the force behind her work.
Paterson's utilitarian pieces are as colorful as they are humorous. She uses her drawing skills to create witty content on her pieces, allowing the work to be simultaneously playful and cheeky. Her use of functional forms relates to her interest in history, since utilitarian ware was, for centuries, a main source of expressive ceramic art. Mariko Paterson's delightful pieces testify to the beauty of everyday objects and the relations they create with us.
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Drama Queens Cups Height: 5.5" | Width: 6" | Depth: 5.5" 2013 Clay, Glaze, China Paint, Luster opposite page
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Tattooed Man Platter Height: 15" | Width: 11" | Depth: 2" 2013 Clay, Glaze, China Paint
Strong Man Height: 5.5" | Width: 6" | Depth: 4" 2014 Clay, Glaze, China Paint
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Do you have any graphic design background? I have no official graphic design background, but my father was a sign painter, so my love of all things graphic started at a very young age. My ex–husband was also a graphic designer, so it always seems to crop up in my life. When did you start combining typography into your artwork? In earnest not until about my third year of ceramic studies in college. My professor told me to be “very careful” about incorporating text into my work. He said that lettering can look pretty cheesy on ceramics without careful consideration. True that, but fonts can convey and lend a lot of personality to a piece. Is your use of type communicative or decorative? It can be both. Sometimes I write full stories on works or use other designated spaces for containers of paragraphs, phrases, and even small spurts of words. At the same time, words can be highlighted or made bold, thus creating a visual effect that is intended to be concentrated in its stimulus potential. What is your technique in applying type to your ceramic art? I use china paint and/or decals as well as letterpress stamps.
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Rum Runner Jug Height: 7" | Width: 4.5" | Depth: 4.5" 2012 Clay, Glaze, China Paint
You seem to use utilitarian ware (cups, platters, vases) shapes to convey form and meaning to your artwork. Why is that? Ceramics has a long history and tradition of function behind it. Yes, I do make sculptural work, but I like the intimate nature of a handheld object combined with the potential for it to be used every day. I actually have people write in tears when they break a piece, as it has become near and dear to them. Objects like mugs, plates, and platters that fill everyday lives, but whose production has been relegated to Ikea, Wal–Mart and such, have slowly been stripped of their intimacy as ritualistic objects (of the everyday sort). Seemingly mundane acts such as drinking coffee or tea or eating cereal have become as banal as the standard white mug and bowl most grab for. Years ago, gallery owner and critic Garth Clark pointed out a Betty Woodman/Roslyn Wynkoop conglomeration of a cup, and stated its status as his favorite to use. The long loopy handles on either side of the small cup meant that its user would be in for a challenge in order to drink from it. His point was that handmade objects do not have to subscribe to the standards of objects that are more conventionally produced or ergonomically sound. It is fascinating to me that we can, ever so subtly, alter and actually enhance the user’s experiences.
Is typography important in order to understand your work? It depends. An ashtray should not have to say “ashtray” on it in order for one to “get it.” Perhaps though you would like to talk about Cancer with this ashtray. Imagery, texture and color may suggest a tone, but carving a giant letter C in the middle might hammer the message all the way home. I certainly don’t use text on all of my works, but when I do, it is intended to subtly, or not so subtly, lead the viewer/s down different paths of possible meanings. Where do you get inspiration for your ceramic work? From everywhere. I love looking at type and then trying to figure out how to pair selections with shapes and imagery. I like looking at the website Veer.com for inspiration. As for objects, I am a huge fan of historical ceramics. I love the art of the Chinese Qing dynasty as well as the kooky lines that were produced by English Staffordshire. The latter used text on everything! Color and pattern come to my work in a big, crazy palette. I say, the louder the better. I was never drawn to subtle color, and I find inspiration in such diverse sources as the street graphics of India, the graveyards of Mexico or, the textiles of Japan. What do you take into account when creating a new piece? I take the overall intent of the pieces into consideration first. Is it a somber or commemorative piece? Is it intended to serve as a subtle side dish or as a splashy show centerpiece? Is it a mug that will sit by someone’s laptop all day or is it a pet urn that is going to be admired now and forever more on a mantelpiece. Then I throw caution to the wind and start a rash of hand–built or thrown objects. The accumulation of roughed– out shapes presents a plethora of possibilities and sometimes they sit under plastic until they are called. Once I know the perceived use, the rest almost falls into place. I have high key colors that I like to use, such as candy apple red, that need to go on almost every piece. What is your favorite typeface? Right now I use quite a bit of the Bookeye family taken from veer.com, but I also like Haymaker. I am just trying to figure out how to finally incorporate it into an unsuspecting piece.
175 Mariko Paterson
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Scott RENCH United States
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cott Rench uses technology to his advantage and as inspiration for his own ceramic artwork.
Rench’s narrative work begins on the computer, which is indispensable to the final composition of his pieces. He uses the computer to translate his meaning of the artwork, thus shortening the distance between machine and human in his creation of art. Scott Rench's love for technology is apparent in his pieces; this two–dimensional technology allows him to express himself in a tactile medium. The many symbolic and semiotic elements of his work invite the viewer to draw connections between story and message.
179 Scott Rench
“I can no longer keep my advertising work and my artwork from influencing each other. You will often see computer related imagery as it's part of my daily life and in some cases a part of our contemporary vernacular.�
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Dates are Tough (detail) Height: 25" | Width: 30" | Depth: 24" 1995 Stoneware, Direct Screen Printing opposite page
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Chinatown Shoe : Height: 14" | Width: 7" | Depth: 4" 2005 Terracotta, Printed Glaze, Vinyl Tubing
Social Security Shoe: Height: 14" | Width: 7" | Depth: 4" 2005 Terracotta, Printed Glaze, Vinyl Tubing this page
Interactive Ceramics Cube: Height: 4" | Width: 4" | Depth: 4" 2006 Terracotta, Printed Glaze
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181
Scott Rench
Do you have any graphic design background? No design, but I have been creative in some way all my life. When did you start combining typography into your own ceramic artwork? I think it was around 1991. I like to make artwork that makes people think. I have always used semiotics in my work; creating a story or a message. Much of my work is personal stories about my life. Some of the messages are on the surface and others are buried so only I understand. When I started, I was worried that people weren’t getting my message, so I started adding a large single word to push viewers in a certain direction. What I would learn later is that each person brings their own history and story to every piece and the symbols mean different things to different people. I love hearing what work means to different people. Through other people's eyes I have seen meanings in my work I never imagined. Why do you use typography as part of your ceramic work? Inspiration and concepts for work come in many different ways. In this way, they reveal themselves in many different forms. I like to push myself so each piece can be very different from the one before. It’s all about the message. I do and create what’s needed to tell the story how I like. Sometimes it’s using words to illustrate the Bush presidency; other times it might be a single loaded phrase. Is your use of typography communicative or decorative? It can be both. When I use Japanese or Chinese calligraphy I use it for its meaning, history and beauty.
What is your technique in applying type to your artwork? I mostly screen print onto my work. I also have two complete sets of lead type, serif and sans–serif, that I sometimes use to imprint text onto wet clay. Your work seems to draw inspiration from many sources, such as comic books, computer generated images, etc. Where do you get your inspiration from? Inspiration comes from everywhere. It comes from my past and the present. It comes from books, music, things people have said to me, and from places I cannot explain. Is there a specific protocol that you use in order to achieve the desired look when combining type and clay? No. The great part about using the computer is that I can work through various ideas until I’ve come up with a combination that feels right. What do you take into account when creating a new piece? The concept is the most important aspect in my work. The concept shapes and forms the piece. Is type important in order to understand your artwork? No, I can’t that say type is a major part of my work. It’s there when I want it to be, but I don’t feel the need to use it in every single art piece. What is your favorite typeface? I don’t really have a favorite. If I had to pick one I use most often, that would be Helvetica Neue Light Condensed.
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Love is a Drug Height: 25" | Width: 22" | Depth: 30" 1998 Stoneware, Direct Screen Printing
Destiny Height: 12" | Width: 9" | Depth: 3" 1996 Stoneware, Direct Screen Printing
Social Security Height: 25" | Width: 30" | Depth: 22" 1998 Stoneware, Direct Screen Printing
Dates are Tough Height: 25" | Width: 30" | Depth: 24" 1995 Stoneware, Direct Screen Printing
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Red WELDON SANDLIN United States
183
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“Two objects, the book and teapot, occur in almost all of my work because they represent containment. A book contains stories, information, and lessons. A teapot, metaphorically, holds ideas that are filtered, brewed, steeped, and poured out for fulfillment and understanding.�
185 Red Weldon Sandlin
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A NaughTEA Heart of Pine (detail) Height: 34" | Width: 12" | Depth: 8" 2004 Ceramic, Wood
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ed Weldon Sandlin’s sculptures combine her experiences with classical children's literature.
Weldon Sandlin's powerful figurative narratives draw on her childhood memories along with the wonderful world of kid’s storytelling. She uses those sources and applies them to her grown–up work. The maturity of the pieces is balanced by the their illustrative style and the delicate nature of their execution. Red Weldon Sandlin's pieces bring a story to life, but it is up to the viewer to interpret it, even if the ending is already known.
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To TEAse a Mockingbird Height: 24" | Width: 6" | Depth: 7" 2002 Ceramic, Wood
Hidden in the Pages Based on the diary of Anne Frank Height: 38" | Width: 12" | Depth: 13" 2008 Ceramic, Wood this page
Miss ETEAquette Teapot Height: 18" | Width: 10" | Depth: 7" 2004 Ceramic, Wood
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187 Red Weldon Sandlin
Do you have any graphic design background? I started my career as a graphic designer, but after taking a short course on ceramics, I discovered my love for clay. When did you start combining type into your ceramic art? Almost immediately. I am from the old school when you had to hand–render type for compositions. Why do you use typography as part of your ceramic work? I use it to communicate Is your use of typography communicative or decorative? It is both, communicative and decorative. What is your technique in applying type to your artwork? I use underglaze on the ceramic part, and acrylic on the book base with 0/10 liner paintbrush (contrary to popular belief it is not a brush with three hairs.)
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Teapots seem to play a central role in the form and meaning of your artwork. Why is that? It allows for engineering and creativity. There are endless ways to go with a teapot.
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Do you think that typography is important to understand your work? Yes, with a book as the base it is necessary for type. The book titles serve as the titles of the pieces.
Ceramic, Wood
Where do you get inspiration for your ceramic work? First, a book. Second, what personal life experiences are linked to it for the total concept. What is your favorite typeface? It is too hard to narrow to just one. I chose typefaces for each piece based on the style of the story. However, I do prefer serif type to sans–serif.
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Love’s TEAny Lure Based on the Little Mermaid Height: 13.5" | Width: 9" | Depth: 6.25" 2007
Hidden IndentiTEA Based on the Diary of Anne Frank Height: 17" | Width: 12" | Depth: 12" 2009 Ceramic, Wood, Vintage Book Pages this page
A NaughTEA Heart of Pine Height: 34" | Width: 12" | Depth: 8" 2004 Ceramic, Wood
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Michael T. SCHMIDT United States
189
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M
ichael T. Schmidt's beautiful pieces are deeply rooted in his graphic design background.
Schmidt’s inspiration comes from many sources, but is rooted in Americana art and design. His background in graphic design makes Schmidt to have a instant connection with retro advertisements, old signage, abandoned gas stations, defunct brands, or even storage silos. He creates stories through his pieces that allow the viewer to interpret them through their own memories. Michael T. Schmidt artwork has the beauty of giving us a sense of nostalgia but at the same time feel contemporary enough.
191 Michael T. Schmidt
“I am interested in combining “pottery” with an identity that is aesthetically and conceptually complex, while maintaining or referencing its usability as a functional object.” previous spread page
Hess, Sinclair Oil Bowls (Detail) Height: 6" | Width: 10" | Depth: 10" 2008 Soda Fired Porcelain, Cone 10, Digital Transfers opposite page
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Hess Fuel Storage Height: 13" | Width: 13" | Depth: 13" 2005 White Earthenware, Multi-Fired Oxidation, Digital Transfers, Cast Gypso–Lite Base
5 Oil Company Cups Height: 7.5" | Width: 22" | Depth: 5" 2009 Soda Fired Porcelain, Cone 10, Digital Transfers, Cast Gypso–Lite Base
Cup, Funnel, Drip & Base Height: 7" | Width: 9" | Depth: 5" 2005 White Earthenware, Multi-Fired Oxidation, Digital Transfers, Cast Gypso–Lite Base, Found Objects this page
Mobil Teapot & Tower Height: 9" | Width: 13" | Depth: 6" 2005 White Earthenware, Multi-Fired Oxidation, Digital Transfers, Cast Gypso–Lite Base, Found Objects
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Do you have any graphic design background? I graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1998 with a BFA in Art/Graphic Design. I have always found old/vintage signs, advertisements, murals on buildings, barns, and silos, numbers, and type quite beautiful in both surface and design. When did you start combining type into your ceramic art? During my years as an undergraduate I took a ceramics class to fulfill a 3–D requirement in my degree. The work produced focused primarily on functional pottery made on the wheel, reduction fired or salt fired to cone 10. In my graduate work at Edinboro University of PA, my work evolved quickly into sculptural vessels, and ultimately the figure. The first piece that included type was titled “art,” and was inspired by the French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and his Statue of Liberty, as well as by Emma Lazarus’ poem The New Colossus. The pipes replaced the torch and tablet, representing part of “a system,” naked and battered yet still beautiful, the figure itself vulnerable and exposed but not defeated. Subsequent pieces had text included, but none were so blatantly labeled as this piece. Many female typographers, including Kris Holmes and Carol Twombly, inspired the use of that italic serif font. The piece was made in 1999–2000. I can't recall the exact font I used, but it resembles Apple Chancery or Lucida Calligraphy. Why do you use typography as part of your ceramic art? The current work that includes type is very different than the figural work from my graduate days. When I started teaching at Valdosta State University, I revisited the functional work that originally got me hooked on clay. The soda fired surfaces I was interested in provided a worn vintage look to the industrial forms I was making. The context of the “oil series” vessels continues to evolve. With high fuel costs, record oil company profits, continued discussion of alternative fuels, and political unrest throughout the Middle East, the context of the work shifts continually. The idea of these oil pots evolved from childhood memories of my father and grandfather working in the garage on their “hotrods,” and from a continued fascination with industrial or agricultural architecture in the Midwest, where I grew up. What is your technique in applying type to your artwork? I use a variety of techniques, including cut paper or wallpa-
193 Michael T. Schmidt
per stencils, hand–drawn type, transfers using laser prints and Xylol or winter green oil, and decal paper as well. Vessels seem play a central role in the form and meaning of your artwork. Why is that? The idea of vessel or containment remains a dominant concept in my work. While “trained as a functional potter,” I have experimented with many facets of clay and a wide range of firing techniques. But I have always felt a certain obligation to the utility of the vessel. Using an object daily is a wonderful experience. I was inf luenced by the Mingeisota movement, and by the works of Warren MaKenzie, Michael Simon, Linda Christianson, and Karl Borgeson (one of my two undergraduate professors). Because of my interest in so many different artistic mediums, I searched for ways of blending all these concepts and all thsetechniques. Your artwork is full of social and political commentary. Do you think that type helps in order to understand your work? Yes and no. Sometimes. I certainly want the work to communicate successfully to someone who knows a lot about my work, and also to someone who knows nothing about my work or may be seeing it for the first time. I’ll take that a step further: it has to communicate with a wide audience. Some viewers are well versed in art and ceramics, while others are not. For each person, the takeaway might be different. Some might get the piece's conceptual depth; others might react on a visceral level and “just like to drink their morning coffee out of one my cups.” Where do you gather inspiration for your artwork? My family, and especially my dad, have been and continue to be a huge inf luence in my life. He went back to school in his 40s, and inspired me to go to college and pursue my passion. He was and is a jack–of–all–trades. He is always working with his hands—solving problems, fixing things, tinkering, figuring things out, and teaching me lessons. It was never that crystal clear or intentional; it just happened. He repaired old Christmas lights at the kitchen table. He manufactured parts in the garage out of an old piece of aluminum to make a snow blower work. He repaired a transmission, adjusted the timing on an engine, and sifted through endless old mason jars filled with mismatched nuts and bolts. There were tools everywhere, and favorite brands of car products, oil, and brake f luid covered
every surface of the workspace. As a kid I was around tools, cars, engines, and all the stuff that comes with a filthy mechanic’s garage. This was a place destined for more than the mere storage of a vehicle: it was where life stories were passed on, beers were shared between friends and relatives, and all the world’s problems were solved. This was where boys became men. In those days coffee came “leaded or unleaded.” I rarely hear that reference anymore. Vintage gas stations have certain nostalgia. In the 50's, they provided full service and were a place where they knew your name. Today, they provide a brief stop off the interstate as we refuel or grab a snack and 64–oz. Coke in a disposable plastic or Styrofoam cup. What do you take into account when creating a new artwork? Color? Type? Context? Concept? All of it. Typically, I work in a series. I don’t make just one thing. Whether it’s a cup or a large-scale sculpture, I make several at a time, not exactly the same of course, but to establish a dialogue between the works. If you make one piece, then you try to put all your ideas and effort into that one piece. I’m much more productive when I work on multiples, I can make better decisions that way, too. Sometimes a series is short–lived, but others are much more long–lasting, like my Industrial Complex series, inspired by Dwight Eisenhower’s Farewell address, which I have been working on methodically since 2007. Process and technique are the relatively “easy” part now. Good concepts, solid ideas; those take a lot more effort. What is your favorite typeface? I’m a big fan of simplicity. San–serif all the way. Helvetica is ubiquitous, but it's also “nearly invisible.” Some of my other pet fonts include Gill Sans, Univers, and Futura. I also have an affinity for the old–school classic woodblock fonts, like Ponderosa or Rockwell. I grew up near Two Rivers, Wisconsin, where Hamilton is located. J. Edward Hamilton founded the original J.E. Hamilton Holly Wood Type Company, in 1880, and within 20 years became the largest manufacturer of wood type in the United States. Hamilton is now a working museum, and according to their website, “at 45,000 sq ft, is no doubt one of the largest fully functional workshops in the world.”
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Hess, Sinclair Oil Bowls Height: 6" | Width: 10" | Depth: 10" 2008 Soda Fired Porcelain, Cone 10, Digital Transfers
2 Cups Height: 6" | Width: 10" | Depth: 4" 2012 Slip Cast Porcelain,Soda Fired, Cone 10, Hydrocal Letters, Cast Gypso–Lite Base
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Nancy SELVIN United States
195
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197 Nancy Selvin
“My pots are abstractions of the reality of a pot.”
N
ancy Selvin’s inspiration comes from the beauty and utilitarian nature of everyday objects.
Selvin is interested in the relationship between artifacts and people. She is curious about how the histories of objects relate to us. Selvin uses forms such as books, bottles, and teapots for her sculptures. These forms, familiar to everyone, are vessels that allow the viewer to connect with her work. They are comforting, unthreatening, known. Nancy Selvin primarily emphasizes not the functionality of the work, but its meaning.
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Is Less More? Height: 12" | Width: 9" | Depth: 6" 2004 Terracotta, Underglaze, Screened Underglaze, Wood Piece is wall mounted this page
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Now is Then Height: 24" | Width: 20" | Depth: 5" 2004 Terracotta, Underglaze, Screened Underglaze, Wood
Platina (detail) Height: 18" | Width: 20" | Depth: 5" 2008 Terracotta, Underglaze, Screened Underglaze, Wood
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Do you have any graphic design background? My master’s degree from UC Berkeley is in design with an emphasis on ceramics. Over the years I have designed posters, cards, and mailers for organizations and events, so I guess you could say I have quite a bit of experience in that area. I am currently working on an illustrated Haggadah. opposite page
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Ceramic Notebook, Vol. 8 Height: 8" | Width: 12" | Depth: 1" 2009 Terracotta, Underglaze, Screened Underglaze, Steel
Ceramic Notebook, Vol. 2 Height: 8" | Width: 12" | Depth: 1" 2009 Terracotta, Underglaze, Screened Underglaze, Steel
Ceramic Notebook, Vol. 4 Height: 8" | Width: 12" | Depth: 1" 2009 Medium Terracotta, Underglaze, Screened Underglaze, Steel
Findings #017 Height: 14" | Width: 14" | Depth: 1" 2012 Terracotta, Underglaze, Screened Underglaze Piece is wall mounted
Findings #021 Height: 14" | Width: 14" | Depth: 1" 2012 Medium Terracotta, Underglaze, Screened Underglaze, Wire Piece is wall mounted
When did you start combining typography and ceramics? It started sometime in the early 1990's, I began layering text on the surface of my artwork. Initially it was on a series of ceramic “notebooks.” Then I carried it over into the still lifes I was building, and have integrated it ever since. Why do you use typography as part of your ceramic art? The initial impetus was to make the wonderful but concealed drawings and notes from my many sketchbooks visible in my finished work; hence, the “ceramic notebook” series. There is also a long tradition in the history of functional ceramics where information is intrinsic to the surface of the form. I have a collection of historic bottles, ceramic cosmetic, pudding molds, and medicinal containers with recipes, elaborations on the product, or maker names and identifying text, which is directly printed and fired into the finished ware. Is your use of typography communicative or decorative? It is intended to be communicative, evocative of the “contents,” and to refer metaphorically to the functional roots from which the form is derived. Regarding my work, curator Jo Lauria writes: The text is not to be considered in the literal sense because it is disconnected and deliberately obscured. Selvin uses it as a device to draw the viewer in at close range, demanding more time to reflect and savor the sculptural forms. By this means, the artist creates a sensual intimacy between the object and the observer. What technique do you use to apply type to your artwork? All the imagery and text is screen printed. Then, underglaze is applied during the construction of the art form and fired into the body of the piece.
Books and vessel forms seem to be the main draw for your artwork. What lures you into those specific formats? To this date my work always contains references to domestic, functional forms. The inf luence of the ordinary and the work–a–day is inseparable from the content of my work. In an article about my work, Suzanne Baizerman, former curator at the Oakland Museum, wrote: The still life form reminds us of the potency of every day objects. Selvin’s containers, with their faint wording, are a link between industry and poetry. Your color palette is very mute and you keep your final look to a matte finish. What is the main reason for those choices? I find the dry, non–reflective surface compelling, tactile. I am drawn to secondary and tertiary shades, although the color palette changes, some forms have intense hues, rough surfaces especially the large–scale works. What do you take into account when creating a new piece? Color? Type? Context? Concept? My ceramic artwork starts with a sense of form and material. The rest follows. Every mark counts. Do you think that typography is an important key in order to understand your artwork? The existence of the imagery and text is intentional but not necessarily legible. What is your favorite typeface? Like all components of my artwork, the context is everything. My personal choices are usually simple and direct, and are only what is needed to convey a graphic sensibility.
199 Nancy Selvin
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Suzanne SIDEBOTTOM United States
201
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203 Suzanne Sidebottom
“My work is the art of illusion. It is a game artists play with spectators to raise questions about the nature of art and perception.”
S
uzanne Sidebottom's realistic art pieces are a testament to what can be accomplished in trompe l’oeil.
Trompe l'oeil (French term for “deceive the eye”) is a ceramic technique by which the artist creates an artwork of such high detail and realism that it often fools the viewer’s eye. Sidebottom creates art pieces that ask to be touched and felt in order to assure us that what we are actually seeing is clay and not something else. The themes of her work come from her personal life; because the viewer can relate to these themes, a sense of familiarity and complicity is created. Suzanne Sidebottom's artworks are remarkable for their high standard of detail and their ability to make the viewer want to interact with optical illusions.
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Crate of Papers (Detail) Height: 5" | Width: 10" | Depth: 14" 2014 Stoneware, Porcelain opposite page
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Travel Jumble with Newspaper Height: 3" | Width: 12" | Depth: 11" 2012 Stoneware, Porcelain
Journalism Book and Notes Height: 4" | Width: 4" | Depth: 6" 2013 Stoneware, Porcelain
Today's Crossword Height: 6" | Width: 14" | Depth: 14" 2013 Stoneware, Porcelain this page
Trashbox Height: 12" | Width: 12" | Depth: 10" 2013 Stoneware, Porcelain
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205 Suzanne Sidebottom
Do you have any graphic design background? I taught ceramics and sculpture at Manual High School’s art magnet. In 1985, as part of our new curriculum in graphic design, I opened one of the first computer graphic labs for high school students in the southeast part of the country. When did you start combining type into your ceramic work? I started adding type on a regular basis five years ago. Why do you use typography as part of your ceramic art? I started using type in order to make the pieces more realistic. Is your use of typography communicative or decorative? Communicative. What is your technique in applying type to your artwork? I apply type to wet porcelain slabs using a small brayer and Minnesota Clay underglaze stamp pads. Over the years I have gathered a large collection of advertising stamps from the 1920's–1970's with imagery and type. I have also developed images and type on my computer and had professional rubber stamps made. Some rubber stamp companies, such as Viva Las Vegas, allow their stamps to be used without documentation if they are hand stamped. Trompe l’oeil seems to be the predominant technique for your pieces. Tell us more about it. I have alternated between sculptural and functional forms throughout my artistic career. I stated early in my career with Trompe l’oeil and returned to that about seven years ago.
Your ceramic work is full of social commentary. Do you think that typography is important in order to understand your work and to have those points to come across to the viewer? In some cases what is being said is important to the piece, but oftentimes the type is simply there to make the object appear more real. Sometimes in jest, however, I will put nonsensical type on a piece just to see, for example, if the viewer is actually reading a label. Where does your inspiration for your artwork come from? It depends. Sometimes is a particular line of text that I have read to inf luence the beginning of a piece. However it usually starts out as a theme. The typography then acts as part of that overall theme. What is taken into account when you are creating new art? After I have developed an idea and decided on the components of the piece, I begin to develop the three–dimensional quality of the piece. I am a believer in the elements and principles of good design, so I look at the piece from that perspective. What is your favorite typeface? All of them!!
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Crate of Papers Height: 5" | Width: 10" | Depth: 14" 2014 Stoneware, Porcelain
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Kevin SNIPES United States
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209 Kevin Snipes
“The space between people is always awkward. Language is always inadequate. There's always the unexplained, the mysterious.”
K
evin Snipes’ art pieces are the perfect marriage of two and three–dimensional surfaces.
Snipes' busy vessels are a feast of illustration, color, and typography. The inspiration for his imagery and text come from his own background, and he uses events, situations, or conversations as the starting points for his creations. Snipes considers himself a storyteller, and uses ceramic art to showcase narratives that fuel his artistic expression. Kevin Snipes’ art pieces are urban, lively, and busy, and are a true testament to his power of storytelling.
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Bat Man (Detail) Height: 10" | Width: 11" | Depth: 4" 2012 Porcelain Opposite Page
Cat Dish Height: 4" | Width: 5" | Depth: 6" 2011 Porcelain this page
Secret Agent XXX Height: 12" | Width: 10" | Depth: 5" 2010 Porcelain
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211 Kevin Snipes
Do you have any graphic design background? My high school art teacher was stronger in design than in fine arts. Although his classes were never called design classes, we had a surprising number of projects that were design–based. I suspect that his teaching style was just a product of his own training. At the time I didn’t even understand what design was, or differentiate between design and fine art, until I was looking into college art programs. One project we had in 11th grade art class was to design our own alphabet. Others were to produce a child’s book, make a greeting card and actually mail it to his school address, and design a business card. When did you start combining typography and ceramics? My art beginnings started much before high school, but I did not discover clay until after I started college for other things in art school. Even with my strong drawing background, at that point I was only interested in pure form and simple glaze surfaces. When in the ceramics studio I finally did give in to my natural tendency to use everything as a drawing surface, text instantly became a part of that. Why do you use typography as part of your artwork? The majority of text in my work is made up of utterances. Some of my favorite are from old–school comic phrases like DANG!, Whot Da?, Yer gonna Git It!, and Datz Fo’ Sho! Sometimes I hear these things while passing by people in the street. I keep a list of them. In the narratives of my artwork they add substance, and slant the meanings of the figuration into hopefully more thoughtful places. Is your use of typography communicative or decorative? Typography is part of my narrative process when creating new work. It serves a purpose. What is your technique in applying typography to your art? I use many techniques to make work in clay and to develop the surface. I use various techniques based on how I can best express what’s inside in my head.
Vessels play a predominant role in the form and meaning of your artwork. Why is that? The world seems to be made up of vessels inside of vessels. As I compose these words they are inside my head, which is inside the vessel of my body, which sits inside the confines of my studio, which is contained an old industrial building, inside a city, which is contained by territorial borders, the cosmos, etc. The concept of vessel is a good inspiration for existentialist thought. Do you think typography is critical in order to understand your ceramic artwork? There is an uncertain sense of edginess or mystery in my work that offers the viewer just enough information so that they can extrapolate their own personal stories. Typography is one of the components that helps in that matter. Where do you get inspiration for your ceramic work? I think of myself as a storyteller, one who crafts stories from tactile materials of malleable clay and shiny glazes. Like any good storyteller (whether he be orator, filmmaker, graphic novelist or fiction writer,) I often use the stuff of my past as fodder for new work. If that doesn’t work I keep my ears open and always keep a sketchbook at hand. What do you take into account when creating a new piece? Color? Type? Context? Concept? A little bit of everything. What is your favorite typeface? I have no particular favorite typeface, but I guess I am most attracted to handwritten type.
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What Eveeh Height: 8" | Width: 9" | Depth: 5" 2010 Porcelain
Bat Man Height: 10" | Width: 11" | Depth: 4" 2012 Porcelain
Wiggly Bowl Height: 6" | Width: 6" | Depth: 6" 2012 Porcelain
Double Bicycle Height: 6" | Width: 5" | Depth: 5" 2010 Porcelain
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Forrest SNYDER United States
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F
orrest Snyder's inspiration for his work lays in history, books, and the passing of time.
Snyder's sense of curiosity and his pursuit of discovery inform his sculptures. He is more interested in the mystery of what lies ahead than in what is presented in the now. Snyder's eroding pieces speak of history and what has been left behind. The works are fragile links to memories, and as such they create a direct bond with the viewer. Forrest Snyder creates tangible pieces buried in a sense of mystery, nostalgia and above all beauty.
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Forrest Snyder
“My work consists of many layers of translation, interpretation, retranslation, and reinterpretation, not unlike history itself.� previous spread
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Untitled (Detail) Variable dimensions 2004 Cone 6 Porcelain, Laser Printer Toner
Hang Over Height: 4" | Width: 5" | Depth: 6" 2004 Cone 6 Porcelain, Laser Printer Toner opposite page
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A to B Height: 3" | Width: 6" | Depth: 5" 2004 Cone 6 Porcelain, Laser Printer Toner
A to B (Detail) Height: 3" | Width: 6" | Depth: 5" 2004 Cone 6 Porcelain, Laser Printer Toner
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Reimagening Velveeta Boxes as Airplanes Height: 5" | Width: 7" | Depth: 7" 2010 Cone 6 Porcelain, Laser Printer Toner opposite page
A Rabbit Height: 4" | Width: 5" | Depth: 6" 2004 Cone 6 Porcelain, Laser Printer Toner
217 Forrest Snyder
Do you have any graphic design background? No, I don't. I have no formal training in graphic design. I am completely self–taught. When did you start combining typography into your work? I started incorporating text into my ceramic work in 1995. I was noticing that wet clay was picking up images and text from newspapers. I played around with that for a short time and then moved onto using specific (as opposed to found) text. Why do you use typography as part of your ceramicwork? So much of our world is communicated through written words; we’re all familiar with it. Incorporating text into my work adds another layer of information, sometimes to reinforce an idea, sometimes to play against it.
What do you take into account when creating a new piece? Color? Type? Context? Concept? I often ask myself, “Does the form fit the function?” In this case, the function is to communicate something to the next person. How do size, weight, cuts, bends, partially revealed text, word order, font, size, etc, enhance this communication? What is your favorite typeface? I’ve always been a big fan of Optima, although I don’t think I have ever used it in one of my artworks. It just wasn’t appropriate. That gives me something to think about and work on.
Is your use of typography communicative or decorative? Both. What is your technique in applying type to your artwork? I use an old LaserWriter Pro 600 that has metal oxides in its toner. The words and images are transferred by holding the paper toner side against dry clay, and soaking the paper in acetone. A fair amount of the toner lifts off and sticks to the ceramic piece. All of this is done when the ceramic piece is green. The toner fires from a sepia to a deep maroon. Books seem to play a central role in the form and meaning of your artwork. Why is that? My works are books, plain and simple. Each piece is a collection of individual pages — a book! Is typography is important in order to understand your work and to have those points to come across to the viewer? For books, text is often critical. There is a narrative, perhaps non–linear, in many of the works. Others hold poems that get repeated and woven and rewoven from page to page. Others are made to (dis)assemble into a larger poster when all of the pages are laid out in order. Where do you get inspiration for your ceramic artwork? There is inspiration everywhere; from classic graphic design and typography books to today’s newspaper to old science magazines to advertisements. Everywhere. Duchamp, Cornell, and Banksy are forever inspiring.
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Jasna SOKOLOVIC Canada
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J
asna Sokolovic's ceramic pieces are deeply rooted in her personal narratives of childhood.
Sokolovic's work conveys a sense of innocence and play. Her use of typography is minimal, but essential to the narrative of her work. This allows viewers to create their own story when viewing the artwork. Color, text, and imagery shape her thought process while creating her pieces, and they are taken into account as part of the overall story to tell. Jasna Sokolovic's vulnerability in her ceramic artwork is where we find her true strength as an artist.
221 Jasna Sokolovic
“I like to keep some lightness in whatever I do. I believe that such a point of view helped me through hard times in my life.�
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Cityscape (Detail) Height: 8" | Width: 8" 2010 Earthenware, Ceramic Pencil, Glazes opposite page
Listen/Don't Listen Block: Height: 10" | Width: 9" | Depth: 22" 2008 Earthenware, Ceramic Pencil, Stencil, Glazes, Silk Screen, Decals this page
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Open Your Eyes Height: 5.5" | Width: 5.5" 2010 Ceramic Pencil, Glazes, Silk Screen
Love, Love, Love Height: 8" | Width: 8" 2010 Ceramic Pencil, Glazes, Silk Screen
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223 Jasna Sokolovic
Do you have any graphic design background? No. My background is in architecture and fine art. When did you start combining typography into your art? Right from the beginning of my ceramic studies, I was interested in using images and text in my ceramic work. Why do you use typography as part of your artwork? And is the use of typography communicative or decorative? I like to collage images, colors and letters, giving surface more depth and content. Even when text isn't revealing the content, typography invites the viewer to come closer in order to read and search for meaning. Type is both, decor and content. What is your technique in applying type to your ceramic art? I use a variety of techniques, including “carbon copy” transfers, silk–screening, and decals. Tiles, platters and f lat surfaces seem to play a central role in the form and meaning of your artwork. Why is that? I am very interested in surface treatment and in using the soft characteristics of clay to achieve different results. The layers of the surface often make a busy–looking piece. To balance a form and its surface, I lean towards simple geometric shapes. Additionally, I was always interested in wall applications and those types of forms are easily applied that way.
Is type is important in order to understand your artwork? I don't like to be too revealing with the use of text, but the little that is given is usually an important part of the story told. Where do you get inspiration for your artwork? Street art, urban markings, signage, films, music, architecture, What do you take into account when creating a new piece? Usually I make simple forms, almost like blank canvases, for an installation or a single piece. A mark made in the process of making it might be a trigger to where the piece will go, as well as a something that is marking my life in that moment. What is your favorite typeface? I don't have a preferred one.
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Cityscape Height: 8" | Width: 8" 2010 Earthenware, Ceramic Pencil, Glazes this page
Some More Words Earthenware, Ceramic Pencil, Stencil, Glazes, Decals, Red Thread Height of a figure appx. 10" 2011 (composition of cut out figures and tiles)
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Mitchell SPAIN United States
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M
itchell Spain’s art juxtaposes the waste of natural resources with the new act of recycling.
Spain's draws his inspiration from ideas of mass consumption. His highly realistic art sculptures speak not only of the deterioration of materials over time and their effect on nature, but also of the story that they leave behind once they have been used for their purpose. Spain is aware that his artwork raises important topics of conversation that can be address via art. Mitchell Spain is interested in creating a deep dialogue with the viewer regarding important issues such as waste, recycling, the green movement, and the human responsibility attached to these topics.
227 Mitchell Spain
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Consumation of Empire (Detail) Height: 29.5" | Width: 8" | Depth: 11.25" 2012 Porcelain, Stoneware, Ceramic Decals
“Using symbols of energy, fuel, and transportation, I try to bring these much used objects into our modern world where they are relevant to the contemporary issues we face today.�
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Stretched Tin Height: 10" | Width: 3.25" | Depth: 3.25" 2013 Porcelain, Ceramic Decals, Underglazes, Oxides
4 in 1 Height: 4.25" | Width: 3.25" | Depth: 1.5" 2013 Porcelain, Ceramic Decals, Underglazes, Oxides this page
XXX Height: 5.25" | Width: 3.75" | Depth: 1.25" 2013 Porcelain, Ceramic Decals, Underglazes, Oxides
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Do you have any graphic design background? No, just slowly learned it on my own. Emphasis on slow. When did you start combining typography into your work? Right around the time I was finishing my BFA degree, our school got a ceramic decal printer, and I began to see the possibilities of it right away. Why do you use typography as part of your ceramic work? In my own artwork I believe it helps to evoke emotion or even attachment to a certain object. So much of my work has to do with the past, with eras gone by, and the type and design on the object really bring out that nostalgia. Is your use of typography communicative or decorative? It communicates a message; I often alter or use type to convey different messages pertaining to the object it is on. What is your technique in applying type to your artwork? I use a ceramic decal printer to print the designs I create on the computer and then apply them onto the piece. Vessels seem to play a predominant role in the form and meaning of your artwork. Why do you chose those forms? I come from a very skilled family of tradesman. I hold craftsmanship above almost anything else. This idea f lows over into the objects I make, which I believe must possess a function of some sort to hold any real value. Is typography important in order to understand your work? I think it makes it a whole lot easier to get a message across, but I try to make those messages subtle with the use of type so as to not be too blatant. Where do you get inspiration for your ceramic artwork? Most of my inspiration comes from my close family and my upbringing in rural Iowa. Color, patina, and craftsmanship all derive from my experiences growing up. What do you take into account when creating a new piece? I try to incorporate it all. I rarely start a new piece without knowing or at least having a good idea of what the finished product looks like in my mind. What is your favorite typeface? Desdemona
229 Mitchell Spain
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Consumation of Empire Height: 29.5" | Width: 8" | Depth: 11.25" 2012 Porcelain, Stoneware, Ceramic Decals this page
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Dented XXX Height: 4.25" | Width: 3.25" | Depth: 1.5" 2012 Porcelain, Ceramic Decals, Underglazes, Oxides
Everything Nice (Shot Glasses) Height: 2.25" | Width: 1.25" | Depth: 1.25" 2012 Porcelain, Ceramic Decals, Underglazes, Oxides
Ginger Height: 4.25" | Width: 3.25" | Depth: 1.5" 2012 Porcelain, Ceramic Decals, Underglazes, Oxides
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Evelyn TANNUS Brazil
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233 Evelyn Tannus
“I love illustrations that have language, such as comics books or tattoos. I draw inspiration from them”
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Mão Palma Heart Height: 9" | Width: 4" | Depth: 3" 2013 Stoneware this page
Mão Palma Lilith Height: 9" | Width: 4" | Depth: 3" 2008 Stoneware
E
velyn Tannus’ highly decorated sculptures are inspired by religion, mythology, and feminism.
Tannus’ vibrant and colorful works are highly inf luenced by tattoo iconography, comic books, and even palmistry. She is interested in surface decoration and will use the entirety of a piece to showcase imagery and typography. Evelyn Tannus’s busy and illustrative sculptures are colorful and playful, as well as intriguing.
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Do you have any graphic design background? Yes. I studied visual arts at FAAP, in São Paulo.
on a different level. Many things I love and identify with have this kind of language: comics, tattoos, and illustrations.
When did you have start combining typography into your ceramic artwork? When I started approaching my work as a tattoo style.
Where do you get inspiration for your ceramic work? I’m an extremely visual person. I spend a lot of time leafing through magazines, children books, comics, Flickr, and now the addictive Pinterest. Even the language of palmistry, which I think is so beautiful. I always research photos, prints, colors, etc. I look for everything and anything to make a great piece. There is no lack of inspiration.
Why do you use typography as part of your artwork? To me, typography is pure drawing, and it can make any work of art richer and more outlined. Is your use of typography communicative or decorative? Both. opposite page
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Mão Palma Love Height: 9" | Width: 4" | Depth: 3" 2008 Stoneware
Mão Palma Manekineko Height: 9" | Width: 4" | Depth: 3" 2008 Stoneware
What is your technique in applying type to your artwork? Transfer. I’m not so good with calligraphy. The human form, hands specially, seem to play a key role in the form and meaning of your artwork. Why is that? I opted for hands and forearms because it made a lot of sense to use them as tattoo canvases. I chose the figa sign for being a popular symbol in Brazil loaded with syncretism. Is typography important in order to understand your work? No. At first, typography was merely a graphic decision, but of course, certain phrases communicate well. Then, typography gained ground in my work and started to communicate
What do you take into account when creating a new piece? Color? Type? Context? Concept? All of that together, especially the design of the work and what it suggests. I explore the best that the work offers me. What is your favorite typeface? My own handwriting, but I can not always use it.
235 Evelyn Tannus
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Shalene VALENZUELA United States
237
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239 Shalene Valenzuela
“My ceramic sculptures reflect upon a variety of issues with a thoughtful, yet humorous and ironic tone. I am inspired by the potential of everyday common objects.”
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Follow the Pattern: Bathroom Vanity (Detail) Height: 15" | Width: 21" | Depth: 2" 2012 Porcelain, Underglaze, Print Transfer opposite page
Blending In: Purchasing Power II Height: 13" | Width: 6" | Depth: 5" 2012 Slipcast Cone 04 Ceramic, Underglaze Illustration this page
Sew Very Happy II Height: 12" | Width: 17" | Depth: 7" 2009 Slipcast Cone 04 Ceramic, Underglaze Illustration, Print Transfer
S
halene Valenzuela’s art deals with consumer culture, women's role in society, etiquette and coming–of–age.
Valenzuela draws inspiration from the idealized society presented in the golden era of advertising. Valenzuela’s sculptures use images from this era, but also present the paradox of seeing their messages in our own time. Valenzuela likes the illusion of fooling the viewer by creating artifacts that were once considered part of someone’s status in society. The beauty of Shalene Valenzuela's work is that she uses relatable and recognizable household items, but the message that she conveys with them goes beyond domesticity.
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Do you have any graphic design background? I have had some informal training and have taken some extra extended education classes, but my degree is in the fine arts. When did you start combining typography into your work? I started experimenting with incorporating text while I was in graduate school.
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Follow the Pattern: Bathroom Vanity Height: 15" | Width: 21" | Depth: 2" 2012 Porcelain, Underglaze, Print Transfer
Easy-Mix: Making Life Easy Height: 11" | Width: 10" | Depth: 6" Slipcast Earthenware, Underglaze Illustration, Print Transfer 2010
Hammer from Implement of Self Construction Series Height: 12" | Width: 4" | Depth: 1" 2011 Slipcast Earthenware, Underglaze Illustration, Print Transfer
Why do you use typography as part of your ceramic artwork? Sometimes type is there as part of a product name, for example Easy–Mix on a stand–up mixer. Other times it is incorporated and ties into the image and object itself, such as the ceramic hammers I make, Implements of Self–Construction, which use the phrase “How to Stay Lovely.” Is your use of type communicative or decorative? I believe my use considers both. When text is included with a piece, the viewer immediately registers it and starts to make connections based on the word(s) present. What is your technique in applying type to your ceramic art? Much of type artwork is done through a silkscreen transfer process; screen–printing underglaze onto newsprint then transferring the image onto the clay surface. I will also draw and/or stencil in text, and at times have used overglaze decals Your ceramic artwork is full of social commentary along with witty humor. Do you think that typography is important in order to understand your work? Actually much of the commentary is purely done within the imagery I create, but I use text and typography to strengthen and direct points.
When creating a new piece, what comes first as a source of inspiration, the type or the object itself ? Why? It totally varies. Sometimes it’s the object; other times there is a specific phrase or word I see and it triggers a concept. Where do you get inspiration for typography and object? Much of my source material comes from old texts, magazines, cookbooks, manuals from the mid–20th century, etc. It’s an era ripe with advertising, ideals and pictures of the “perfect Americana lifestyle.” There is great attention to the style of body text, illustration, and the use of color as well. There is no denying that your artwork has a very retro feel in its presentation. Is the typography on your pieces taken into account in that retro look? Definitely. I research typefaces used in old advertisements in order to get just the right look and feel. What is your favorite typeface? That is a tough question to answer. I don’t have a favorite color for the same reason. It really depends on my mood and the context! There are some great, intricate typefaces out there, but sometimes bold and simple can do the trick!
241 Shalene Valenzuela
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Sharon VIRTUE United Kingdom
243
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Large Oval (Detail) Height: 1.75" | Width: 17" | Depth: 5.5" 2011 Earthenware this page
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Cups Height: 5.5" | Width: 3.75" | Depth: 3.75" 2011 Earthenware
Rectangular Plate Height: 1" | Width: 11" | Depth: 5.5" 2011 Earthenware opposite page
Green Vase Height: 12" | Width: 6" | Depth: 6" 2011 Earthenware
245 Sharon Virtue
S
haron Virtue's utilitarian artwork can be described as f lamboyant, colorful, positive, and exuberant.
Virtue gets her inspiration from travel. Each of her travels, as well as her European background, offers a new set of colors, patterns, and textures. She is very interested in form and surface design, and pays close attention to the details that her pieces require. Sharon Virtue's work is dense with pattern and color, and it is that condensed density that allows her pieces to make statements worth remembering.
“I believe that artists have roles of agents of transformation.�
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Do you have any graphic design background? No. I do not have a background in graphic design. When did you start combining typography into your work? Words first started appearing in my 1995 art show “Quinta Essentia,” a body of artwork based on alchemy, symbolism, and magic. The bottles are intended to contain your magic potions and lotions. Why do you use typography as part of your artwork? I started using words as a way of stimulating the imaginative process for people who can read English. Is your use of type communicative or decorative? I use type as both. What is your technique in applying type to your artwork? I use a few different techniques, but primarily printing with stamps and decals. You seem to like to play with bold ornamental single letters along with small script lettering in your work. Why is that? My prerogative as an artist is to do what I think/feel looks good. No other reason. Do you think the use of typography is important in order to understand your work? No, I do not think it is important, but it is an important part of my work. Where do you get inspiration for your artwork? (From object and color to typography) Inspiration comes from magic, mythology, stories, African textiles, and 17th–century Rococo art. What do you take into account when creating a new piece? Color? Type? Context? Concept? All of the above What is your favorite typeface? Scripts, circus fonts, old styles, and elaborate and also chunky bold shapes. The shape and line of a font interests me most.
247 Sharon Virtue
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Bottles Height: 8–11" | Width: 4" | Depth: 2.5–3" 2011 Earthenware this page
Large Oval Height: 1.75" | Width: 17" | Depth: 5.5" 2011 Earthenware
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Marek ZYGA Poland
249
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M
arek Zyga's art pieces embody the perfect combination of ceramic art and typography.
Zyga's interest in classical figurative work, along with a passion for text, is the main source for his creative process. He is interested in shape, texture, and color, but most of all he is interested in the human form and the many expressions that we possess. Marek Zyga's pieces talk about the humanness in us all, about how we are more similar than we are different, and how we are all connected by word and clay.
251 Marek Zyga
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Let's Waste Some Time Height: 32" | Width: 14" | Depth: 12" 2008 Stoneware, Glaze
“My sculptures are like processed images from reality, to some extent they are stories.�
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I'll be Waiting Height: 24" | Width: 20" | Depth: 12" 2008 Stoneware, Glaze this page
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Leave My Body Height: 63" | Width: 20" | Depth: 12" 2008 Stoneware, Glaze
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Do you have any graphic design background? No, but I have always had an interest in art. When did you start combining typography into your work? I started combining typography as part of my evolutionary figurative ceramic work. opposite page
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Just Like Love Height: 63" | Width: 20" | Depth: 12" 2008 Stoneware, Glaze
Jumper Height: 24" | Width: 20" | Depth: 12" 2008 Stoneware, Glaze
Young at Heart Height: 63" | Width: 22" | Depth: 15" 2008 Stoneware, Glaze
Why do you use typography as part of your ceramic artwork? For me, letters are works of art; they are also symbols. Letters are a moving part of the world, fascinating and mysterious. Is your use of type communicative or decorative? I think it is both. Sometimes people cannot relate to the art, but everyone can find and relate to their own letters. What is your technique in applying type to your artwork? It is mostly cut–out clay letters over–imposed onto the figure. My works are finished with engobes, pigments and glazed. The human form seems to play a predominant role in the form and meaning of your art. Why is that? I strive to combine classic forms and contemporary design. Do you think that typography is important in order for the viewer to understand your artwork? I do not think it is important per se, but it definitely brings context and content to the overall art piece.
Where do you get inspiration for your artwork? As a sculptor, I am interested in the human form, especially in body forms and gestures. I am fascinated by people, by their behavior and reactions. What do you take into account when creating a new piece? Color, type, context, concept? Mainly it is concept. I do not sketch but instead I immediately make models in clay. What is your favorite typeface? I don't have a favorite typeface
253 Marek Zyga
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255
TYPORAMICS the acknowledgements
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ARTIST'S INFORMATION, SOURCES & CREDITS Amber Aguirre amberaguirre.com Photo Credits | Amber Aguirre
Michelle Hamilton zaximo.com Photo Credits | Michelle Hamilton, Joseph Gruber
Steve Allen sfclay.com Photo Credits | Steve Allen
Steve Hansen stevehansenceramics.tumblr.com Photo Credits | Dave Sherwin, Anthony Schaller, Mudfire Gallery, Akar Gallery
David Ashby thecourtyardpottery.com Photo Credits | David Ashby
Holly Hanessian hollyhanessian.com Photo Credits | Andrew Ross, Christine Poindexter
Lesley Baker lesleybaker.com Photo Credits | Lesley Baker
Ruan Hoffmann ruanhoffmann.com Photo Credits | Ruan Hoffmann
Mariana Baquero marianabaquero.com Photo Credits | Mariana Baquero
Robyn Hosking robynhosking.com Photo Credits | Jeremy Dillon
Frances Brosnan francesbrosnan.ie Photo Credits | Frances Brosnan, Denis Dunne, Rory Moore, Roland Paschoff
Kathy King kathykingart.com Photo Credits | Kathy King
Matthew Causey matthewcausey.com Photo Credits | Matthew Causey, James Catlin Chalkley
Nancy Kubale nancykubale.com Photo Credits | Nancy Kubale, Tim Barnwell, Robert Batey
Liz Crain lizcrainceramics.com Photo Credits| Liz Crain
Kris Leach krisleachclayworks.com Photo Credits | Walker Montgomery
Alfredo Eandrade alfredoeandrade.com.ar/es Photo Credits | DamiĂĄn Wasser
Gayla Lemke gaylalemke.com Photo Credits | Gayla Lemke, John Bonath
Marie Gibbons mariegibbons.com Photo Credits | Marie Gibbons
Jordi Marcet & Rosa Vila–Abadal terracroma.net Photo Credits | Toni Anguera
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Jason Messinger jasonmessingerart.com Photo Credits | Jason Messinger
Michael T. Schmidt michaeltschmidt.com Photo Credits | Michael T. Schmidt
Lilianne Milgrom liliannemilgrom.com Photo Credits | Lilianne Milgrom
Nancy Selvin selvinstudios.com Photo Credits | Kim Harrington
Connie Norman connienorman.com Photo Credits | Keith Turbitt, Graig Marrs
Kevin Snipes kevinsnipes.com Photo Credits | Kevin Snipes
Jeanne Opgenhaffen opgenhaffen.com Photo Credits | Jeanne Opgenhaffen
Forrest Snyder forrestsnyder.com Photo Credits | Forrest Snyder
Vijay Paniker vijayvpaniker.com Photo Credits | Vijay Paniker, Andrea M. Allen, Brian Franczyk
Jasna Sokolovic dearhuman.ca Photo Credits | Dear Human
Graciela Olio gracielaolio.com.ar Photo Credits | Graciela Olio, HernĂĄn CĂŠdola
Mitchell Spain mitchellspainceramics.com Photo Credits | Mitchell Spain
Mariko Paterson foragestudios.com Photo Credits | Mariko Paterson
Evelyn Tannus evelyntannus.com.br Photo Credits | Thor Matsusaki
Scott Rench yosoh.com Photo Credits | Scott Rench
Shalene Valenzuela www.shalene.com Photo Credits | Shalene Valenzuela
Red Weldon Sandlin facebook.com/red.sandlin Photo Credits | Bill Massey, Charlie Akers, Parish Kohanim, John Polak, Walter Kirk, David Guilsano
Sharon Virtue virtuevision.org Photo Credits | Sharon Virtue
Suzanne Sidebottom itsclay.com Photo Credits | Suzanne Sidebottom
Marek Zyga marekzyga.com Photo Credits | Marek Zyga
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THANK YOU I am indebted to all the artists that have helped make the Typoramics Art Catalogue a tangible reality. The time, images, personal interviews, words of encouragement, and big doses of enthusiasm when I approached each and everyone of you, have helped shape and propel this thesis forward. It is through your selfless contributions that I have been able to craft a piece that showcases the value of typography in ceramic art. This wonderful journey has allowed me to create a great art catalogue along with making lasting connections and friendships in the ceramics community. A heartfelt thank you to all of you. Now, let's play with type and clay!
COLOPHON Book & Cover Design Flora Cruells Benzal Content Writer Flora Cruells Benzal Content Editor Alex Bain Printing Lahlouh Printing Binding The Key Printing & Binding Typefaces Eames Century Modern & Brandon Grotesque Paper Mohawk Superfine Smooth, 100lb. text Course MFA Graphic Design Thesis Academy of Art University – San Francisco Copyright Š 2015 All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced without express permission from Flora Cruells Benzal.
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