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Chris Pickett on utility vs. function and the power of habit

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

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Courtney Murphy on her approach to pattern and form

This week on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with potter Courtney Murphy. Her functional earthenware draws from a variety of influences including "simplified abstractions of nature, children's artwork, folk art, mid-century modern forms and shapes, as well as textiles, patterns and historical pots." She maintains a studio in Missoula, MT were she is an artist-in-residence at the Clay Studio of Missoula.

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Mel Griffin, Mathew McConnell, and Peter Christian Johnson talk about climbing the career ladder

This week on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I am featuring a panel discussion on ceramic career paths with Mel Griffin, Mathew McConnell, and Peter Christian Johnson. The conversation starts by questioning the premise of an established career ladder in ceramics and evolves into a discussion about success, living a mobile life, and creating your own career path.

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Sean O'Connell on developing self critique

This week on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with potter Sean O'Connell. I met Sean in 2010 while he was making five hundred plates for the Salad Days Residency at Watershed Center for Ceramic Arts. He focused on a lobed plate form as a canvas and set out to experiment with hundreds of solutions for surface decoration. I admired his methodical approach to such a monumental assignment. I continue to see the same dedication to visual inquiry in his current body of work.

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Adam Field on using social media to build community

This week on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with potter Adam Field. Based in Durango, CO Adam produces a wide variety of functional ceramics ranging from intricately carved porcelain forms to massive Korean Onggi jars. He says of the work, "I am fascinated with antique artifacts, the way they can speak of mastery of lost peoples, places, and cultures. This inspires me to create works that both radiate history and capture my own place and time."

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Merran Esson on capturing the passage of time within an object

This week on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with ceramic artist and educator Merran Esson. Her recent body of work springs from a two week excursion she took to a remote part of western New South Wales, Australia. She says of the trip, "I have always had an affinity with the land, having spent my childhood on a farm in the foothills of the Snowy Mountains, however, the geology and vastness of this recent exploration has brought a more organic resolve to this work. My interest in the collision between man and nature continues."

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Vipoo Srivilasa on the gallery system and breaking into the international art market

This week on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with sculptor Vipoo Srivilasa. After immigrating from Thailand to Australia Vipoo has used ceramic sculpture to explore the similarities between his native and adoptive cultures. Over the past 16 years Vipoo has developed a body of porcelain figurines that mixes the blue and white traditions of East Asia with contemporary symbols of Australian identity.

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The Best of Season One of the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast

To celebrate the one year anniversary of the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I am featuring a compilation of excerpts from season one of the podcast. While all of season one's episodes are unique and enlightening in their own way, these clips raise topics that I haven't been able to shake out of my head. The episode features excerpts from interviews with Matt Long, Chandra Debuse, Christin Johansson, Nina Hole, Willow Neilson and Jason Burnett. I am eternally grateful to all the artists who took part in Season one of the podcast.

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