Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Matthew Gaddie | Episode 1050
Matthew Gaddie’s work exists inside the frame and philosophy of practicality. It communicates the underlying connection Matthew sees between the rural, hard-working days of his youth and the life he want to live as an artist. The cyclical pattern of throwing, trimming, glazing, and firing are comfortable for him. Matthew is a farmed-raised laborer who has wonderful memories of planting, weeding and harvesting. In the age of quick marts, high speed connections, fast food, one-stop shopping, Matthew tries to live his life slowly and with purpose. In a time of massed produced uniformity, Matthew tries to create works that are unique, each piece having recorded its own tale of creation, a tale of struggles, of successes, of failures, of imperfections and of hopes… it is a human tale.
SPONSORS
You can help support the show!
GRPotteryForms.com
Number 1 brand in America for a reason. Skutt.com
For all your ceramic needs go to Georgies.com
The preferred printing supplier for potters everywhere! SmallDogPrints.com
How does clay improve a person’s life?
Number one, at least for me the time at the wheel is a time of reflection. When you are at the wheel your hands are busy and your mind is allowed to kind of wander over your life in a kind of meditative state. That’s what my students find, there’s a kind of addiction to that and they find it so meditative and it’s so healthy. I think at the same time when you are in a studio and making work you are constantly asking yourself questions like, Is that the best form I can make? Is that the best attempt at a handle that I can make right now? And that simple act of evaluating yourself is something I don’t think people really do that much in our world, in our hustle and bustle. Somehow the process of asking those questions cracks open a door that then can get swung wide open as you are sitting at the wheel.
Why does community come into play so much with ceramics as apposed to some other art forms?
I think number one, it’s the space. We all gotta share this space and respect the space. We all have to share kilns and we make our own clay. We are not quite at the point where we have a clay body formula but we do have dry mix shipped in and we do have a clay mixer and a pug mill and we mix our clay body from dry mix. We do not do the box of wet clay because I want the students to experience that process in a communal way.
Are rules and standards critical for having a good community?
Yeah, absolutely. And I think the students will take on whatever standards you present to them. I find that students rise to your expectations more often than not.
From your perspective what makes a good student?
Humility. Humility. I do this exercise where I get out my contemporary mug collection and I serve tea to everybody and there’s always one student that I prefill their cup with water and I go through this exercise of pouring tea for everybody and they say, I need to go dump my cup out , and I say, Stop, that’s the whole purpose of this little exercise. I understand, in order to be filled up you have to have room. The cup has to be empty first. Or at least not full. I will take half full. I can teach that.
From your perspective what makes a good teacher?
You know, probably just energy and enthusiasm. I think that can make up for a lot of short comings by just being really passionate about what you are doing.
Book
Contact
Instagram: @gaddiematthew