For the grand finale of the Project: Cupâs Studio Visit series, we got a sneak peak into the home studio of potter and painter, Samuel Johnson. Samâs studio practice is rooted in the thoughtful creation of functional vessels. He throws and hand builds on a low-momentum kick wheel, which engages the body in a different way than weighted kick wheels or electric wheels. The rhythm of this style of throwing, including the sensitivity to pressure and speed, is a delight to witness. That attention to the subtle interactions between object and user isnât just apparent in the studio process. Each of the vessels we handled and used in the studio was infused with a strong sense of purpose and opportunities for small discoveries - like the unexpected presence of a stone just under the surface, or a blush of ash from the wood firing highlighting a pattern in the clay.
In Samâs words:Â
"There was a different kind of philosophy embedded in the different places that I worked at early in my career â the St. Johns Pottery in Minnesota, the Denmark Design School in Copenhagen, and at the studio of Koie Ryoji."
"I found that these different experiences and perspectives led me to thinking about the essence of form. From the time in Denmark, I learned to think about how to pair things down. How to find one quality to focus on and reduce the noise or superfluous elements. I wondered how that would relate to a type of pottery that took a ânaturalâ approach to materials â an acceptance of imperfection, an acceptance of the idiosyncratic qualities of the glaze or clay or firing method or even the hand. Those ideas were present in my experiences in Minnesota and Japan. What would it be like to pair these things together? In time, I started to think about it as relating the nature of materials to the nature of self, to the intellect. I wondered what it would be like to pair together 3 elements: clay as a natural material, fire in its raw state and me as a person in my own humanity. I wanted to know what that meant in terms of making things that had a theoretical, mathematical type of precision and was also full of emotional impulses."
â Sam's studio visit imagesâ â â â â
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Artaxis Conversations is a production of Artaxis.Â
This MiniSeries was produced by Bobby Tso and recorded by Bobby Tso and Casey Whittier. We invite you to view the work of the artists that were part of today's conversation and many more atâ â â â â â
â â â â artaxis.orgâ â â â â â ï»ż
or â ï»żâ
artaxis.org/conversations
Artaxis is a non-profit organization that promotes the ceramic arts. We are a volunteer-run organization that relies on generous donations from the community. If you would like to support Artaxis, please consider making a donation through our website or sharing our work with your community. Thank you.
Music Credit:â â â BugaBlueâ
