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Alana Wilson | Episode 513
Alana Wilson is a ceramicist based in Sydney, Australia. She has been practicing ceramics for 7 years, since graduating from the National Art School with a BFA (Hons) in 2012. She exhibits regularly both nationally and internationally, most recently in Japan. While most works are essentially contemplative, the ode to traditional forms seeks to honor the nobility of the vessel and it’s foremost function alongside an inherent respect of ceramics as a medium. Subtle surface destructions and experimental glazing and firing techniques are a major focus in the studio. Firing to 1260ºC allows the metamorphosis of surface degradation to be captured, appearing to exist in a state of motion and decay, even once cooled. These quiet meditations into the beauty of the decayed utilitarian attempt to captivate and impel the viewer beyond the physicality and functionality of the works.
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What platform or service do you use for your website hosting?
I use Wix.
Why did you choose Wix?
Back when I created my website it was probably the first one that popped up on Google and I tried it and it sounded quite simple to use. I have looked at switching to Squarespace but just the idea of having to upload all the images again is not that enticing. Wix seems to do the job for what I like 90 percent of the time I guess.
Do you do the management of your website or did you hire someone else to put it together?
No, I did it myself. If you have a site like Wix or something similar it is all visual, you don’t really have to get too much into the nitty gritty of it I guess.
How hard or how long was the process of building a website from scratch?
It is pretty straightfoward with a web builder like Wix. You can see it all visually in front of you, you don’t have to understand too much about coding or anything like that to build it. I learned a little bit about SEO tags to help people find us when they use Google.
Tell me about SEO. Can you explain what it is and then how you implement it into your website?
Probably mostly for images I will add little SEO tags, key words that people can type in. For example key words might be Alainawilson ceramisist and I want my work to show up. It is like a hashtag in a sense, on social media in that it pulls certain image up.
You mentioned hidden tags or back tags. What do you mean by that?
It’s hidden in that it is not visible on your website. It is not a visual element. It is in the settings. You are entering different words and things but it is not actually visible on your website but it connects to other search engines and things like that.
Are you able to track how people find your website?
Some of them through Google analytics. They have quite a good system that tracks all the ways people get to your website and when they click and where they are from and what age they are and things like that.
Does Google analytics show if your SEOs are being effective?
Yes, it does and it will give you tips. And the web builder that I use will give you tips on what pages or images need more or less SEO settings to help improve visibility for your website.
What is your favorite thing to do when you are not doing ceramics?
When I am not doing ceramics? Probably swimming or at the beach in some way. Or just out and about amongst nature more than crowds and the city hustle and bustle.
Book
Cy Twombly Catalogue Raisonne of Sculpture
Contact
Instagram: @alanawilsonstudio