guest post – “show us your influences” with Andrew Tarrant

by | Jul 18, 2014 | call for entry, emerging artist, job posting, monday morning eye candy, movie day, residency opportunity, show us your influences, technical tuesday

 My work is heavily influenced by historical and mythological examples, in form,
use and decoration. I wouldn’t class myself as a production potter, nor a

sculptor, if pressed I usually say I’m a vessel maker, or a maker of things.


I do not generally attribute any artists as a direct influence but rather the (almost) faceless artisans of the past. I have a simple Roman bowl that I
purchased in London when I was a student at ACA back in the late 80’s. It sits on my kitchen table, I’ve put nuts in it during parties. I like that it was made in the first century (AD) and it is still in use in the twenty-first century. I like the longevity of clay.

I have major geek cred, I collect and have sold collectable sculptural toys,
comics and such. In the past we never knew the names of the toy sculptors but these days they are proudly printed on most of the packaging. As potters we are
known only by our marks, sometimes by our names, but always by the look of our art. I can usually tell if two different toys were sculpted by the same person.

Back to the late 80’s again, where I met a jewelery student who practiced
martial arts like I did. We practiced together, exchanging styles, and became
close friends. Jeff deBoer is not so much an influence as a brother in design.
Once or twice we have even come up with the same designs at the same time. We
share a similar design sensibility, snobbery of single-malt, and sarcastic
humor.

website – http://www.trespasser.ca
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