Jason Kishell,
Houston, TX
Email: jason.kishell@gmail.com
Website: http://www.jasonkishell.com/
Artist Statement:
The work I make is a balance of idea and form, and skips between functional and narrative. My body of work contains a conflicting personality that plays with contrasting ideas: ugly/beautiful, safe/scary, gross/pretty, serious/funny.
Studio Description:
A humble but efficient studio behind my home packed (some might say overstuffed) with the things that inspire me. Most days it's clay, but I also work with wood, graphite, colored pencil, paint, metal, or any other material that the idea requires.
What type of clay do you use?
Porcelain.
What temperature do you fire to?
1230 degrees C.
What is your primary forming method?
Equal parts wheel and handbuilding.
What is your favorite surface treatment?
China paint.
Do you make any of your own tools?
Yes-- carving tools, wood knives, ribs, sprig molds and stamps.
What is your favorite thing about your studio?
Air conditioner.
What is the one thing in your studio you can’t live without?
Air conditioner.
What are your top three studio wishes?
1) More time.
2) Personal size filter press.
3) Mountains.
How do you recharge creatively?
Spending time outdoors.
What challenges have you given yourself to overcome?
To work faster and develop a consistent visual vocabulary in my pots.
What ceramic superpower would you have and why?
To prevent warping and cracking during the mature fire. These have been my most damaging enemies in my studio life.
What is your studio playlist?
Podcasts, John Prine, and Audio books.
What is your best studio tip?
Run your reclaimed clay through a sieve (after slaking in water) in order to break down the lumps.
If you could change one property of clay, what would it be?
No warping.
