Ceramics Monthly: You began working as Jun Kaneko’s artist assistant shortly after earning your MFA ten years ago. How did your time spent working with Kaneko influence the scale, surfaces, and conceptual content of your own work?
Michael Hurley: My artwork when I began my assistantship with Kaneko was a continuation of ideas I explored during graduate school. These pieces were primarily smaller-scale, slip-cast forms. They included imagery of wolves, trucks, and the High Plains, while focusing on concepts of industry and the American West. Although my artwork, both then and now, differs from Kaneko’s in seemingly every capacity, I made a conscious decision early on for my work to be clearly divergent from his, to purposely avoid influence.
However, after about eight years at Jun Kaneko Studio, I eventually caved into the idea that I should build at least one large piece while I had access to the kilns. After a cone-6 glaze firing, this single piece of stoneware measured 88 inches in height, 72 inches in width, and 38 inches in depth (2.2×1.8×1 m). Although I used a similar building method, the entire surface was press-molded and airbrushed. Neither of those techniques are used in Kaneko’s practice. While constructing the piece served as a challenging exercise, I decided that it didn’t bear repeating.
CM: What are some of the biggest takeaways that you’ll carry as you move into your recently accepted position as Studio Manager at the University of Nebraska in Omaha?
MH: Over the course of my ten years with Kaneko, I gained a wealth of experience in studio management. I learned much of it from Jason Hovey. He was the studio manager when I first started in 2014. Hovey studied under Annabeth Rosen at the University of California, Davis, and worked as a preparator at Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento. He is remarkably well-versed not only in ceramic arts, but also in art handling and installation as well. He emphasized to Kaneko’s assistants that the details matter; if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well.
CM: With this shift in your professional life, what are you most excited to explore in your studio practice? What are the things you’ll miss the most?
MH: Although I have created many large works for Kaneko, and one for myself, I have decided that building large-scale ceramic sculptures doesn’t really interest me. I am eager to return to making smaller works. My next efforts will explore the possibilities of slip casting with silicone rubber molds. After a decade at Jun Kaneko Studio, I believe the thing I miss most is the short-forked pallet jack (I could use one right now).
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Ceramics Monthly: You began working as Jun Kaneko’s artist assistant shortly after earning your MFA ten years ago. How did your time spent working with Kaneko influence the scale, surfaces, and conceptual content of your own work?
Michael Hurley: My artwork when I began my assistantship with Kaneko was a continuation of ideas I explored during graduate school. These pieces were primarily smaller-scale, slip-cast forms. They included imagery of wolves, trucks, and the High Plains, while focusing on concepts of industry and the American West. Although my artwork, both then and now, differs from Kaneko’s in seemingly every capacity, I made a conscious decision early on for my work to be clearly divergent from his, to purposely avoid influence.
However, after about eight years at Jun Kaneko Studio, I eventually caved into the idea that I should build at least one large piece while I had access to the kilns. After a cone-6 glaze firing, this single piece of stoneware measured 88 inches in height, 72 inches in width, and 38 inches in depth (2.2×1.8×1 m). Although I used a similar building method, the entire surface was press-molded and airbrushed. Neither of those techniques are used in Kaneko’s practice. While constructing the piece served as a challenging exercise, I decided that it didn’t bear repeating.
CM: What are some of the biggest takeaways that you’ll carry as you move into your recently accepted position as Studio Manager at the University of Nebraska in Omaha?
MH: Over the course of my ten years with Kaneko, I gained a wealth of experience in studio management. I learned much of it from Jason Hovey. He was the studio manager when I first started in 2014. Hovey studied under Annabeth Rosen at the University of California, Davis, and worked as a preparator at Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento. He is remarkably well-versed not only in ceramic arts, but also in art handling and installation as well. He emphasized to Kaneko’s assistants that the details matter; if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well.
CM: With this shift in your professional life, what are you most excited to explore in your studio practice? What are the things you’ll miss the most?
MH: Although I have created many large works for Kaneko, and one for myself, I have decided that building large-scale ceramic sculptures doesn’t really interest me. I am eager to return to making smaller works. My next efforts will explore the possibilities of slip casting with silicone rubber molds. After a decade at Jun Kaneko Studio, I believe the thing I miss most is the short-forked pallet jack (I could use one right now).
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