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Kate Murray,
Gainesville, FL
Website: http://www.kateshakeshaftmurray.com/
Email: ksmurray88@gmail.com
Artist Statement:
My work is mostly thrown functional pottery, deeply influenced by Mediterranean and Asian cultures, thoughtful and often obliquely autobiographical.
Studio Description:
I have a 20′ x 20′ studio attached to the back of my house, and a classroom at the school where I teach.
What type of clay do you use?
Stoneware and porcelain.
What temperature do you fire to?
Cone 11 at home, cone 6 at school.
What is your primary forming method?
Throwing, some slab work and press molds.
What is your favorite surface treatment?
Impressed texture enhanced by yummy glaze.
Do you make any of your own tools?
I make stamps, modify commercial wooden tools, and make all the molds I use.
What one word would you use to describe your work?
Thoughtful.
What is your favorite thing about your studio?
Long personal history.
What is the one thing in your studio you can’t live without?
Fans.
What are your top three studio wishes?
New Bison trimming tools, replacement windows, kiln rebuild with swinging kiln door (no more bricking up and unbricking door).
What’s on your current reading list?
The God of Small Things, Arundhati Roy
How do you save money on materials and supplies?
Recycle clay, buy in bulk, mix your own
How do you recharge creatively?
Keep looking at art from everywhere, stay open to experiences in nature & life
What challenges have you given yourself to overcome?
Native reluctance to use digital technology
What did you first piece look like?
I don’t remember the very first piece, but I have no doubt it was lumpy and cracked and awkward just like every other human’s first pieces
What ceramic superpower would you have and why?
Time travel-large scale to visit makers from hundreds & thousands of years ago, small scale so I could jump ahead and see how glazed pots look fired.
Who is your ceramic art mentor and why?
All the former teachers in my head.
What is your studio playlist?
Mark Knopfler right now.
Why do you create art?
Making art is an almost-lasting expression of being human.
What is your best studio tip?
Take your time but don’t fuss around and overwork things.
If you could change one property of clay, what would it be?
Weight.
