It was our pleasure, yesterday, at AA Clay Studio & Gallery to invite 15 “beginners” to the studio to reacquaint themselves with the joy of clay. Two major techniques were taught – wheel throwing and hand building.
Each “student” did a fine job grasping the basics. And, to the basics these enthusiastic folks added that important ingredient – PLAY.
Let the following pictures tell the story.
Alex introduces the group.Alex demonstrates wheel throwing.
Suzanne demonstrates hand building techniques.
Participants were fromLevel Up, a local business that organizes classes taught at various arts, food, wellness, lifestyle, and business locations.
AA Clay offers a two-day raku workshop three or four times a year. This workshop firing fell on the weekend of Thunder over Louisville. Take a look at the raku firing process. Check aaclay.com for upcoming workshops.
There was a lot to learn from artist, Matt Mitros. mattmitros.com
Matt uses his artwork to show us that ceramic art is about the process, not the product. And if we remember this, our products will astound us. Think about the pieces that we make that are important to our progress rather than being good products that we might exhibit or sell.
Pre-Columbian RAVE, 2013, ceramic, 12 x 12 x 7 inches
Matt’s work is all about ‘process frozen in time’. Assemblages give us a stop-action look into a time-based relationship between the mechanical and the organic.
Pronghorn, 2014, ceramic, aluminum, glass, 14 x 24 x12 inches
Objects made from: clay cast from items such as potatoes and toys; 3D-printed clay forms of cups and honeycomb patterns; plastic tubing; stacked plywood; aluminum; and cast urethane resins are captured by Mitros in engaging tableaus about life.
Bio Rad #9, 2017, mixed media
Let’s remember that Matt loves clay, began his career as a potter, has played extensively with raw clay. Over time his work has evolved into sculpture based on organic objects taken out of context, along with simulated built structures, such as walls and tubes.
Bio Rad #5, 2016, ceramic, wood, aluminum
Here’s a Mitros insight: clay is one medium that allows an artist to freeze a moment, like photography, because it dries and gets fired and this stops an action in time. Think of that every time you finish a piece of greenware and pop it in the kiln.
Matt Mitros, 2018
Another insight: “the future of ceramic art lies in young people who don’t feel that they have to pay dues to traditional techniques”. Many ceramic artists today know little about clay. He says further: “We can honor tradition by doing something that’s never been done before.”
Matt has chosen to honor and innovate with clay by producing pots on 3D printers. Check out the next blog to learn about his printing techniques.
AA Clay Studio & Gallery, conveniently located at 2829 South Fourth St. in south-central Louisville KY, is operated by qualified ceramic artists. The Studio is a shared working space with modern equipment. The adjoining Gallery, and the online gallery, feature a wide assortment of handcrafted ceramics from studio artists and master potters. #gallery#studio#local ceramics#local gallery#Louisville KY#localart … Continue reading “Locator Map for AA Clay Studio & Gallery, Louisville KY”
AA Clay Studio & Gallery, conveniently located at 2829 South Fourth St. in south-central Louisville KY, is operated by qualified ceramic artists.
The Studio is a shared working space with modern equipment. The adjoining Gallery, and the online gallery, feature a wide assortment of handcrafted ceramics from studio artists and master potters.