January 1, 2009
Work and Play: Mark Chatterley
Mark Chatterley building lifesize
Child Pose, 58 in. (147 cm.)
Detail of Peace, handbuilt, Where to See More: Goldesberry Gallery, Longstreth Goldberg Art, Sculpturesite Gallery, Tory Folliard Gallery, |
There are about as many ways to make a living as a ceramic sculptor as
there are people attempting it. Here is one sculptor making large-scale figurative ceramics and sharing his advice and experience on balancing life
and work, promoting and selling, as well as his aesthetic
perspectives. Contemporary Clay Sculpture: A Collection of Four of Our Favorite Articles on Contemporary Ceramic Sculpture.
I was recently at an alternative art space opening with a group of friends and a student looked at us and said, “Rock and roll old school.” At first I was offended, but then realized he was right. When I went to school cone 10 clay was king. Functional, thrown, utilitarian objects were the flavor of the day. We didn’t have computers, cell phones or iPods. The best part of being a ceramic sculptor is working with clay and making the forms. I barrel through 18,000 pounds of clay a year. I make work for 3 months then fire it all in one kiln load. The rest of the sculpture making process goes downhill for me as far as pleasure. Loading the kiln, glazing and finishing the work are all things that need to be done so I can continue my addiction with clay. Although neither marketing nor selling my work are very high on my list of favorite things to do, both are necessary evils and must be considered. The economy is down and people are concerned with their 401k plans. Art is not on the average person’s mind when they are worried about paying the mortgage. So I am looking for the not-so-average buyer, people who want art either for an investment or as an enhancement to their quality of life. I work with sixteen or so galleries around the country that hopefully have access to this ideal art collector. This article was published in the January 2009 issue of Ceramics Monthly. To get great content like this delivered right to your door, subscribe today! Throughout the year, I have an average of six one- or two-person shows. People don’t want to see the same thing year after year and this keeps me in a constant state of trying to reinvent myself and come up with new work. I find myself revisiting old themes but hopefully with a different point of view. After working with clay for over 20 years, my options of something new become smaller. A Zen saying goes, “A beginner has many possibilities and an expert has few.” I have been teaching workshops on creativity and the golden mean, trying to help others and myself make inner connections for a more personalized style. One of the class assignments I give is to take pictures of interesting objects that resonate for each individual. Then I have the student combine three of these images into one using the golden mean proportion that we will later translate into clay. Rorschach ink blots and guided meditation are also experimented with for inspiration. I also like to read books outside of the art field for inspiration, including quantum physics, psychology, string theory, shamanism and Kama Sutra. Then I try to figure out how conceptual ideas can be translated into clay forms. I also have a small group of friends that I can bounce ideas off of. We meet once a month for a show and discuss what we are working on. Mostly, inspiration comes down to going into the studio everyday and trying to figure out what I can do that is new but won’t be too weird or different from my previous work so that I will lose my collectors. Maybe that is what it means to be old school, stuck in a style that is recognized as mine and being financially fearful of branching out. The one advertising class I took in college droned on about name recognition. I realized that it is a way to get work out into the marketplace and try to elevate prices. For each show I do, the gallery provides a press release of my artist statement and photos to the local papers that sometimes lead into featured stories. I also split ads with the galleries in national art magazines. In addition to building name recognition, I try to attract attention to a specific piece. Being a ceramic sculptor, the physical aspect of working large becomes an issue. The older I get, the larger and heavier the work seams to get. I keep threatening to become a jeweler when I grow up. Until that happens, I go to the gym 3 days a week for an hour of weight training followed by an hour of aerobics. I try to maintain my strength so I can move my own work around. When I do a show I drive a body of work in my own van, which can hold 2 tons, rather then making crates for each piece. Unloading and placing the work can get physical, especially if stairs are involved. I find myself shying away from shows if I have to walk the work up stairs. I imagine someday I might have to hire assistants or get a fork lift to move the work around, but until then, I think of it as a free work out. I may be rock and roll old school. I just hope I have a few new licks to be relevant in the future. |
