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Janelle Peterson | Episode 1205
Albany, Western Australia artist Janelle Peterson creates whimsical, sometimes melancholy doll like sculptures of animals, robots, figurative lamps, and budgerigars. Rooted in childhood imagination, her characters wander gentle storybook worlds where little birds guide the lost, affirming self worth, protection, and the freedom to be uniquely oneself.
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When in your process did you start to feel like your work was yours?
I think once I started to develop my color pallet. It took a few years. I probably had a style but I started doing a blue wash on my work and once I found that it felt like it had solidified a look.
I know you like to leave the interpretation of your work to the viewer. Have you ever had anyone totally misunderstand your intention?
With ceramics, I am not in the public so we don’t get much feedback, but before ceramics I have had people misinterpret. And that’s my interpretation and they’ve got their interpretation. I enjoy that they get meaning from it.
What do you hope people feel when they first encounter your work?
Just strong emotion. I have a boat that I have done recently and a lady messaged me and she said that her mother has dementia and likes to out to the garden and talk to the birds and so much in the piece remained her of her mom. And it wasn’t really anything to do with what I made, but it was really beautiful to have her see all the different elements.
What does that do to your heart to know that your work is touching someone’s life so profoundly?
It’s probably a bit humbling. I felt like,I don’t know, like I wasn’t that worthy. But it can be like feeling seen when people get you, when they get that strong emotion.
What has making these characters done to teach you about yourself?
I’m not sure, I feel like all my work has just been about processing childhood. And understanding that feeling of being a bit alien in my environment.
How do you reset when you feel like your work is forced or flat?
I take time out by doing more art that’s just completely different. Like I am having a bit of a Christmas break at the moment so I stayed making models of the houses from a game. It’s a hugely popular game. So it’s just having a break. Sometimes I’ll do a lot of research and maybe I’ll do an online workshop or experiment with a different technique.
Book
The Name Of The Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
Contact
Instagram: @janellepetersonceramics