A n u p - c l o s e g u i d e t o b o o k s , g a l l e r i e s , p e o p l e
&
p l a c e s
ANDREW GILLIATT SEES A
c r e a tiv e stre a k in all o f us.
“ W e m ig h t d riv e cars th at are
m a y b e b la c k , g r a y , w h ite , b u t
w e ’ll w e a r T -s h ir ts th a t are
b rig h t b lu e , b rig h t p in k , h a v e
H a w a iia n d e sig n s o n th e m ,”
h e sa y s. “ W h e t h e r y o u m ak e
o b je c ts o r n o t, w e ’re all c o n -
s ta n tly e x p r e s s in g o u rs e lv e s
v isu a lly th ro u g h th e o b je cts w e
o w n a n d c h o o s e to o w n .”
G illia tt sa y s h e fin d s th e
p r a c tic e fa s c in a tin g , b u t it’s
a lm o st m o re th an th a t. “ S o ft
s p o t” m ig h t b e m o re a c cu ra te
- a te n d e r u n d e rsta n d in g o f th e
h u m an im p u lse to p e r s o n a liz e ,
w h ic h d riv e s h is d e lig h tfu lly
v a rie d slip -ca st p o rc e la in w o r k .
D o y o u ta k e y o u r c o ffe e w ith
T yran n osa u ru s rexes
o r a
1 9
th-
c e n tu ry te x tile -in sp ire d p attern ?
In each m u g , b o w l, tu m b le r, and
d ish , G illia tt im agin es so m eo n e
fin d in g his o r h e r ca n n y fit.
W h ile c h o o s in g g la z e s and
im a g e ry , “ I th in k a lo t a b o u t
p e o p le ,” G illia tt e x p la in s.
“ W h a t k in d o f c e re a l b o w l
w o u ld I m ak e fo r m y
2
-year-o ld
n ie c e o r n e p h e w ? W h a t m u g
w o u ld I g iv e to so m e o n e w h o
ju s t g o t fire d fro m th e ir jo b ? ”
W h ile m ass-m a rk et g o o d s o ffe r
th e sim u la cru m o f e n d le ss
c h o ic e , G illia tt’s w a r e s are th e
real th in g : an e v e r-v a ria b le
b o d y o f w o r k .
Y e t , su rv e y e d in to to , th e lin e
is a c o h e s iv e w h o le , an ch o red
b y g r o o v y , re p e a te d fo rm s. F o r
each sh a p e , G illia tt d e sig n s and
b u ild s a p r o to ty p e in w o o d . H e
m ig h t tu rn a ro u gh b o w l on a
la th e and th en sh e a r o f f se c tio n s
w ith a b a n d s a w , b e fo r e san d in g
and se a lin g it. H e th e n u ses th at
w o o d e n fo rm to b u ild a m o ld , in
w h ic h h e ca sts h is ce ra m ics in
c o lo re d p o rc e la in slip .
“ I had a lw a y s h ad th e u n d e r-
sta n d in g , w o r k in g w ith c la y ,
th a t y o u sta rt w ith c la y an d
y o u fin ish w ith c la y ,” h e sa y s.
B u t w o o d o r M D F (m ed iu m -
d e n s ity fib e rb o a rd ) le n d s its e lf
to th e cle a n lin e s h e fa v o r s and
m a k e s a m o re d u ra b le m o d e l.
O n e s h ift in p ro c e s s b e g a t o th -
ers: u sin g s tic k e rs and ta p e to
m a k e r e lie f p a tte rn s in g la z e ,
u sin g a la se r p rin te r to m ak e
d ecals. A s ty le w a s b o rn .
T h a t ’s a m e a n in g fu l le a p fo r
a r e la tiv e ly y o u n g m a k e r. T h e
3 1
-y e a r-o ld ’s c e ra m ic s c a re e r
5
b e g a n a t V ir g in ia T e c h , w h e r e
'
y
h e c o m p le te d a B F A in g ra p h ic
$
d e sig n in
2 0 0 3
. T h e d e g re e
3
re q u ire d o n e c la y cla ss. “ I w a s
|
y o u n g an d n a ïv e ; I th o u g h t th is
t
0 1 6
a m e r i c a n c r a f t
o c t / n o v n
