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Michael Corney | Episode 1087
Michael Corney was raised in the greater Los Angeles Metropolitan area where he was influenced by the bright colors of nature and the vibrant cultures that surrounded him. Michael received his BA from Cal State University Fullerton and his MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art. While primarily a studio potter, Michael has taught workshops at Anderson Ranch, Penland School of Crafts and Santa Fe Clay. He has participated in shows at Santa Fe Clay (NM), Northern Clay Center (MN), The Schaller Gallery (MI) and Akar Design Gallery (IA) Michael is currently a working artist in San Miguel De Allende, Mexico!
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You have a BA and an MFA. Is education critical for an artist?
That kind of education? It all depends. For me it was because I did want to teach and we all know if you did want to teach at the college, whether it’s university or community college or even high school, you do need the MFA. So that was important for me. It was also important for me because if I had not gotten it any accolades along that way that I did not get I would say, Oh that’s because I didn’t go to college. Once I went to school and I didn’t get those accolades it’s like, No, dude, you just didn’t do very well.
How did teaching impact you as an artist? To give away your ideas to those behind you?
Well, it kind of solidified what was important to me. It kind of reminds me of when you are a young student and they make you do a description of your work, a summary of your work, an artist’s statement. It doesn’t matter to anyone else in my opinion, but it makes me, or you as the artist kind of define what you are trying to talk about, what you are trying to say.
You used to make your work inside of the States and now you are in Mexico. Has changing cultures influenced your expression as an artist?
You know, not really. And I say that only because I was really kind of engaged in this culture prior to moving down here. The artwork that I look at, whether it’s contemporary art or folk art or art of the people, it’s sort of what I was looking at before. And now that I am here I just feel comfortable being here.
How do you put work out about your story with vulnerability but also with a sense I don’t want you to be too close? And keep privacy?
You kind of can’t get away from that, you know, everything as an artist is…I would say, everything is a self-portrait.
Have you found a favorite place to have down time or restaurant where you are now as a couple?
Actually we have. For us, a part of me liking Mexico is I love the food. We call it food here, not Mexican food because we are in Mexico. My big complaint has been, I live in a very touristy town, it’s sort of like the Sante Fe, New Mexico is what San Miguel is. So there’s lots of fancy restaurants but we found this garage, it’s a family every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, sets up their grill and their deep fryer and they make tacos and stuff like that, and that’s what I like. The street food, the taco stand on the corner, that’s what I like, that’s what she likes, and that’s our special thing here.
Contact
Instagram: @michaelcorneyware