GUILD
of BRITISH

COLUMBIA
a

Glass of 20117

A Preview of Emily Carr University's Clay Program Grads

This article is the second of a series to be written
by members of the Emily Carr University of
Art + Design Clay Program graduating class of
Spring 2011. We hope to show, through these
first-hand accounts, where the B.C. clay world
may be headed in the future. Many thanks to
PGBC member Kathryn O'Regan for persuading
her fellow ECUAD students to share their clay
philosophies and future plans. This month's

account is from student Kelly Austin.

Being creative began for me at an
early age; working with my dad building
ramps for toy cars out of cardboard tubing and
weaving a poncho with my mom at our cabin
on Mayne Island. I was always interested in
making and spent countless hours with my
grandfather in his basement sanding this or
enameling that. My grandmother taught me
to love cooking and appreciate the value of
making from scratch. I am certainly someone
who has been influenced by where they grew
up. Born and raised in Vancouver and on
Mayne Island, B.C. I appreciate what both
have to offer.

In high school, I was really interested in
photography and loved working with black
and white 35 mm film. At the time I couldnt
visualize where that passion could take me,
so I took a two-year course in Outdoor
Recreation Management at Capilano
University and spent a year and a half working
as a commercial sea kayak guide, snowboard
instructor and backcountry hiking guide for
youth, I really enjoyed this work, but I lost
interest in chasing seasons and being away for
long periods of time, so I applied to go back
to school.

i

Back fo earth (2010), wheel-thrown terra cotta, Cone 6, by Kelly Austin.

Having photography as my major made the
most sense to me at the beginning, but at the
end of second year I took a wheel-throwing
class with Fredi Rahn and have been forever
hooked. It was really exciting for me to work
more directly with my hands and work in
three dimensions creating objects. One key
interest for me was the possibility of making
functional work and having content come
from my beliefs and values of craft.

For the past year and a half, I have taken
a variety of ceramics courses at Emily Carr
University and have sought out potters in
Vancouver who have taken me on as their
assistant, including Gailan Ngan and Heather
Dahl. In 2009 I was fortunate to have the
opportunity to work with Julie York as her
assistant in preparing for a solo show in
Philadelphia. Working with professionals in
their field has really helped me understand the

different paths that exist for ceramic artists

I

Form Study (2010), 60" x 18" x 11". Wheel thrown porcelain, Cone 6.

and the challenges each path presents.

I have experimented with different ways
of making, including hand building, wheel
throwing and casting but have constantly

the

environment and the connections between

remained interested in domestic
ceramics and food. I have always been
interested in creating work that relates
to today’s culture and am influenced by
contemporary architecture, industrial design,
printmaking and textiles. Drawn to minimal
form and subtle surface, I am interested in the
way light, shadow, line and proportion interact.
Working in series or sets, I appreciate the
language of form and the way objects interact
with one another compositionally. Balance,

Continued on Page 5,
Subtle Surface

Potters Guild of BC Newsletter : December 2010