Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Tony Young | Episode 430
Tony Young is a high school art instructor in Ohio. Tony recently ventured into the world of cup making and he slipcasts his Tumblers and throws his mugs on the wheel. Many of Tony’s finishes are inspired by graffiti and his recent travels abroad. Tony is interested in recreating textures, layering bold text and imagery, while mixing in elements of my own design work. I like to work in sections, but am constantly experimenting trying to push the medium.
SPONSORS
Number 1 brand in America for a reason. Skutt.com
For all your ceramic needs go to Georgies.com
Why clay for you?
I don’t know. In high school I never worked with clay. In middle school I made a plate of spaghetti with meatball eyes and that was the only thing I made out of clay until I got to college. It was my sophomore year and I finally got to work with clay and I took a ceramics course and I had this awesome teacher, his name was Jon Ginnaty. He is my graduate student prof and I just connected with him. I had this idea and he was totally enthusiastic and positive. And then the medium. I just loved the medium and I had someone positive encouraging me. I just love the physicalness of the medium. I have always been a physical person I have always lifted weights and played sports. At Bowling Green we made and mixed our own clay. We had large kilns we could put large work in if we wanted.
How has selling pottery changed or effected your making of pottery?
Well, it’s exciting to sell things, that’s always good. It is one of those things where it has made me more concerned of the quality of my work. It’s got my name on it so I want it to be the best quality that I can put out. It actually has made me think about…I actually time myself when I do things now. It is not to see how fast I can get things done, but it to see how fast I can get it done. I want to see how fast I can get it done but still make it of quality. It hasn’t really changed my aesthetic too much.
Do you remember your first sale?
Yes. One of my former students from the school I taught at before here, goes to a University in Ohio, his photography teacher there bought one of my cups. I didn’t even have my Etsy yet and I remember I just posted this cup that said on it, The only thing going up is the rent. She was like, I want that. And I was like, let me get my Etsy set up so I can sell it to you.
How does a making schedule work for you in the middle of being a teacher, a husband, a parent, how do you fit it into your schedule?
Less sleep. I burn it at both ends I feel like a lot of the times. I have two little girls, one is five and one is two, and I wish I had their energy. So I basically teach during the week, five days a week. I will have the summer coming up that I am off. But I work at night a lot. I pick up my daughters after school and my wife gets off at five, we do dinner, bath time all that good stuff and they go to bed and most nights I start glazing at 7:30 and glaze til ten maybe. Other nights I will hang out with my wife. Week ends I try to stay up as late as I can.
What is the biggest struggle you have as a maker?
Just time. I want to do more. I talk about this with the teacher I work with Grant, about not having enough time to do what you want. Even if my wife takes my girls out for awhile and I get 5 hours of glazing done I still feel like I could have gotten more done or I wish I would have gotten more done. It is a never ending battle I guess with time.
What is your happiest achievement as an artist so far?
That’s a good question. I really don’t know. I got into the Intimate Object cup show last fall. I submitted five cups, one of them I wanted to re-glaze and re-fire it and there wasn’t enough time, but they got accepted. That was a pretty cool moment for me. It was one of the first big shows I have gotten into.
If you didn’t have to work again, would you take that opportunity and stop working?
No, I couldn’t man, I would go nuts. It is like the ” If you won the Lotto” question. I think I would be bored. I don’t like being busy but i like being busy. When I have a schedule I feel so much better when I am doing things.
Book
Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon
Contact:
Instagram: @youngy_03