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Victoria Christian | Episode 412
Victoria Christen is a studio artist and instructor of ceramics at the
University of Portland. Victoria uses mark making to infuse meaning into the objects she makes. All her work in this show—from the deconstructions of found objects to the functional and sculptural ceramic pieces—emphasize the potential of human gesture and touch to express memories, emotions, and moments. Using ink and brush, fabric and thread, glaze and clay, she captures the joy of a young boy’s bird egg collection, the melancholy of leaf stains on a sidewalk, the effervescence of blossoms floating on a pond, and the pattern and intrigue in a crimped metal garden fence.
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Let me ask you about photography when it comes to entering a show. Victoria, How important is that? Is that something you should rely on jut your iPhone and your morning light or should we be thinking go get a professional?
Victoria: I want to be practical. I mean I personally have a professional photographer do my photos but, I don’t know, what do you think, Brett?
Brett: Well I think that when documenting a three-dimensional object in a photograph, that photograph has got to be good. I think there is a lot of people out there that can do that these days. We need to have a firm understanding that a photo is all we get to see. We do not have this pot, this vessel in our hands or sitting in our lap to look at so that photo has to speak loudly to the essence of that object.
You mentioned filters. How important is it to get it as true to life as opposed to manipulating it?
Brett: I know in my own practice generally when I use a filter it is because it is not a very good photo and I will use a filter to whiten it up a little. Even when we shoot stuff around the gallery it will kind of be yellow, so I will use a filter that generally whitens every thing up and that actually looks more like the object. So I am actually using the filter to make it more real.
Victoria: When we want to see pots in action, those need to be done with your cell phone.
Victoria: If I am thinking I want to enter this show. What are 5 points that a listener should do to put together their images?
Brett:
I think be yourself. I dont think this show is about doing something totally different just to enter a show. Be yourself with your pots first and foremost and show continuity.
~Innovation and variety are definitely things we are looking for and I don’t think that needs to be forced but don’t hold back. If who you are is just cups or just plates or just tumblers, do it. I think all of that is great. Anything that adds to the table and the dining experience is all worth looking at.
Paul:
~ First would be, making sure it has durability for a restaurant. I know that is something that David talked about. And however that is achieved whether it is firing temperatures or thickness, I think that is an important thing.
~The second thing is people you know agree with you that your work has got quality to it. So get some opinions from other people. Some of us are raring to go before we are ready.
Victoria:
~I like pots that are joyous that celebrate the event or celebrate the food. So I think of color and originality. Also a little added..maybe the bottom has a little uniqueness. It’s just a new discovery in seeing the piece.
Brett you mentioned continuity and variety and Victoria you were agreeing with him as he was saying it. How does one have continuity and variety?
Brett: To clarify what I mean is that the applicant has continuity but the show has variety. So as we assemble the show if we have say, five celadon potters we will probably have to narrow that down. So that is where it is good if each one of those potters has continuity.
Victoria: The continuity is through the 5 images the person sends there’s a sound of the same voice from the same person. They have a style or a certain vocabulary in the way they work with the clay. And then the variety comes with us picking the pieces for the show.
Contact
Instagram: @victoriachristen