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Jordan Gale | Episode 1245
Jordan Gale is a ceramic artist working at the intersection of sculptural and functional pottery. Jordan’s embrace of organic textures attempts to blur the line between utility and expressive form. Born and raised in Eastern Iowa, Jordan attended the University of Iowa, where he was introduced to pottery. Jordan currently lives and works in Portland, Oregon.
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I’m really intrigued with your journey from photography into pottery and how that transition happened. How does photography impact your making?
It’s hard. There’s definitely been times where I’ve had to go on the road and essentially be gone for a week or two. And when I come back, there’s You know, all my pieces are dried out. I’m starting from scratch. But not not too much. I, I make my own work. I’m freelance self-employed, so I make my own schedule with photography and I work primarily on long term documentary projects. So it’s it’s all kind of up to me, which.
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How about then, how does being a photographer influence you as when you’re making? Do you think through like how it would look in a frame?
Not at all. I actually think they are two completely different processes. And that is really what I, I really enjoy that and I didn’t really anticipate it coming back into pottery. photography is a very outward process you’re really sort of putting on this hat of like a used car salesman and you’re going out into the world and trying to convince the world you know of these ideas you’re you’re exploring this sort of notion of truth and and documenting um your experience with it and and it’s all kind of like up in the air and random whereas pottery is this for me at least, this meditative alone process with just me and the clay and, a lot of kind of thoughts back and forth, about the clay. It’s very, I don’t want to say isolating because I enjoy it. Meditative, I can’t use that word, but that is the best that I can. I think that’s the best word for it.
What kind of things can only be captured from or in ceramics compared to photography?
That’s a good question. I think Pottery is, you know, this relationship with the earth. It is this, like I’ve been saying, this tactile experience, something that comes from the ground and and we form into, you know, a cup, something that we need, something that gives us nourishment or provides us, you know, as a vessel for for beauty. And that’s that’s very special. I think photography, on the other hand, is a great way to exhibit our relationship with one another. And it’s a human to human experience. You know, it’s community. It it’s about the person in front of the camera just as much as actually it’s about the person behind the camera. And there’s a lot more sort of like to that, whereas For me, again, I’m repeating myself at this point, you know, pottery is that intimate one-on-one experience with the vessel and yourself.
Has pottery thus far at all influenced photography?
I don’t have an answer for you on that one. And I just don’t think that I’ve thought about it. I think that I have, yeah, tried to maintain the two very separately because they both give me something that I need in a roundabout different way. There probably is, though, some influence. And you know what, we’re going to get off this call and I’m going to go on an assignment and notice it instantly. Or, you know, I’m gonna be going and photographing like down the block someday and I’ll be like, shoot, I have the best answer for that. Okay.
You mentioned during our conversation earlier, before we got into the mud meets about round that one of the things you were thinking about is that you wanted a different stream of income. How does selling your photography versus selling your pottery, how does that differ?
I don’t know if it differs too much, primarily because when I got into selling my pottery, it was with the background and experiences I’ve had with photography. You know, this these years that I spent simply trying to be a working photographer, it didn’t really matter what I was shooting or, you know, or if it said anything about me that then eventually changed. And now, you know, it has to be something that really is representation of myself and my process and my interests. And so when I thought about selling my work with clay it was it was it had to be under those same stipulations you know it had to be on my terms and and the way I wanted to do it um with that being said it it’s strange you know I I’m still new to it and that’s that show that we met like I said was the third sale that I’ve ever done and so I I don’t want to act like I know what I’m doing or or or know what to expect from all this, I’m sure a year from now, I might have a different answer for you or a different philosophy on it, but I want it to very much feel cohesive and, you know, like you are getting something that is me. And I think if you come to anything, with honesty and with that individualistic intent, people will respond positively. I think if you come into any artistic endeavor solely as a monetary means, it’s going to feel maybe a little soulless, and that’ll show.
You mentioned earlier in the podcast that you were into your third sale. Without giving us numbers, how’d you do?
I did good. I went in blind. I’m just happy to be here. It’s always it’s always crazy when someone wants to buy something from you. Like, I feel giddy and sort of like, not embarrassed, but just seeing like, you know, when I get hired for photo jobs, it’s cool. It just feels kind of affirming, like, all right, great. You know, like, I’m out there. I get to do this thing, you know, like my this matters. It’s kind of the solidification, but when someone buys a cup from me, it’s like, I don’t know. It’s such a shock. I hope I never get over it because I’m just consistently flattered.
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