Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Jonathan Kaplan | Episode 964
Jonathan Kaplan has been fortunate to have sustain a 55 year career in ceramics wearing many hats: potter, ceramic designer, manufacturer, author, educator, master mold and model maker. Jonathan’s book, “The Mold Making Manual-The Art of Models, Molds, and Slip-Cast Ceramics” is due to be published by the American Ceramics Society in the Summer of 2023. Jonathan credits his success and longevity in this field to having a curious mind.
Before we go any further, if you are interested in supporting me and my family as I go through my eye restoration, then here is the link to the GoFundMe campaign that my good friend, Ben Carter of Tales of the Red Clay Rambler started for us:
gofundme.com/f/help-paul-blais-recover-from-eye-surgery
SPONSORS
You can help support the show!
GRPotteryForms.com
Number 1 brand in America for a reason. Skutt.com
For all your ceramic needs go to Georgies.com
About the building, is the idea of using it as a business… is the motivating factor to use the business to pay for the building?
The direct answer for that is no. The motivation for the gallery is to provide an exhibition space, a pristine exhibition space for upcoming ceramic artists, for mid-career artists, and for artists that already have well established careers. Denver has eight art districts and all the galleries are perhaps two dimensional work and I thought, You know I could do something with ceramics and make it special.
How much time are you spending in the studio making?
How much time? I could spend a lot more, for sure. Let me preface that, I had a really bad bike accident two years ago and so there was a lot of broken stuff and a lot of new titanium going in. Anyway, I’m totally healed and I’m slowly getting back into making work again. Do I work at making work everyday? No. Do I find time to do a little bit of work? Yes.
When you are making and you are being inspired it sounds like you are being inspired by both the creativity of others, which you mentioned the industrial portion of that, and then elevating it to another form. Is that accurate?
Yes, that’s very true. I think it’s very important to know what else is being made whether it’s in ceramics or not. I think if I had not had a career in the ceramic arts I probably would have been a product designer. An industrial designer. For a long time I have recognized what influences me is architecture and geometry and how you meld those things together.
I see in your studio you have a Granger book. (industrial parts book) What is an artist and a potter doing with that book?
You know, when I had a factory you had to keep your equipment running and the go to place was always Grangers. There are other supply places and all the catalogs are twenty pounds each and if you need something they have it. So yes, those are excellent reference books for me.
Contact
Instagram: @plinthgallery