BIOGRAPHY

My introduction to ceramics happened in an art class when I was in 5th grade, but I found myself drawn to clay more seriously upon taking my first wheel throwing class in High school.  In college, I delved more deeply into ceramics and began focusing on sculpture, which I then continued after graduating in addition to running a non profit ceramics studio for all ages.  After a number of years, I came back to wheel throwing functional ware but began to bring some of the figurative sculpture work into the wheel work I was doing and started “drawing” on my pots.  The last few years have seen me veer off into other interests and I spent a couple of years building custom furniture, but I always come back to making functional pottery, even if only in fits and spurts.  

Q&A WITH THE ARTIST

Carbondale Clay Center (CCC): What’s your favorite beverage recipe?

Matt Johnson (MJ): Tequila Gimlet

• 1 part tequila

• 1/4 part Rose’s lime

• Splash of olive juice or vermouth

• 2 olives

CCC: Where does your creative process begin (i.e. sketchbook, specific routine, image reference, etc.)? What considerations do you think about when creating drinking vessels?

MJ: My creative process with vessels begins in tandem; I often have images already in my head or a certain form I have been thinking about, and then that relationship evolves during the making process.  As I believe is often the case, sometimes I stumble upon a form accidentally through using a different clay body, being out of practice, or just through different moods.  When I make drinking vessels specifically, I give a lot of attention to handles and, if the form is one I am going to draw an image on, then a form that will allow that easily.

CCC: Do you have a certain type of vessel that you prefer to drink from? Does it vary based on the beverage?

MJ: My own preferences for drinking vessels definitely vary with the beverage itself, but also are influenced in the moment by feeling.  I often have a preferred cup for tea for a few days and I will use one specific vessel, but then it will change and I will be sympathetic to something different.

CCC: When creating a mug, I often hear about the detail and time taken for the handle. Do you have a handle size and type that you prefer to use? Why? Does that directly inform your creative process?

MJ: As stated above, I do give a lot of attention to handles when making vessels that demand them.  I don’t necessarily have a preferred size to make, as I try to make a variety so as to satisfy other’s taste.  I personally really like drinking from two finger size handles.

CCC: What makes handmade pottery unique to you? Why use a handmade object to sip your coffee, tea, water, etc.?

MJ: Handmade pottery is unique to me simply because I appreciate drinking from it; I like to notice the vessel and not just what is in it.  I don’t have a single non handmade cup in my cupboard.  

CCC: What influences your pots? What are you looking at or thinking about when making specific beverageware?

MJ: I think that right now the things that influence my beverage wares the most are the human figure and African textile patterns.

CCC: Is there a certain type of drinking vessel that you prefer making? Or one that seems to always be sought after by customers?

MJ: I love making all kinds of drinking vessels, but I definitely always come back to basic mugs.  Those seem to be the objects that people request the most as well.

CCC: How do you define art within your functional pottery? Do you consider pottery to be a form of art?

MJ: I consider pottery more craft or applied arts, but I feel the division line is a porous one…. It does not take much to venture into art.  I know this is a topic that is endlessly discussed and rarely agreed upon!

CCC: When creating pottery, do you work in a series or body of work? At what point do you transition from one series to another?

MJ: When I have a consistent rhythm creating pottery, I definitely work in series.  This has been a challenge recently, so I tend to go back to where I left off last time.  If I am given enough time and consistency, then the transition from one series to another tends to be organic rather than planned out.

CCC: What keeps you inspired in the studio?

MJ: Inspiration in the studio, for me, is usually found through rhythm and seeing other artists work and speaking to people about their processes.  I also find teaching to be inspiring… it is wonderful to observe students make leaps forward and get excited, and that excitement tends to be contagious.

CCC: How do color, surface, and form influence your work? Does each of those design elements play equal roles in your making process? Is one emphasized over others? 

MJ: Surface and form are closely intertwined when I am working, especially when I am working on a series that I am planning to draw on the surfaces of.  For me, color comes later and is more of an “in the moment” decision.