Andrea Pykett: A Conversation With a Ceramicist
Where did your interest in ceramics start?
In college.
It started in college because I did an art foundation for a year. At the beginning of the foundation, we spent a week or two weeks in every section such as fine art, textiles you had a section in more 2d graphics kinda stuff and also one in 3d mediums such as metal and ceramics. Then you had to pick which one you wanted to be in more because that was what your final project was going to be in. You had a first choice and a second
choice. My first choice was actually fine art because I really liked the fine art teacher she was really cool, however everyone wanted to do fine art so I didn’t get to do fine art instead I got to do my first backup option which was 3d work. It was really fun because it got me into ceramics. So that’s where I first started learning about ceramics.
3
So now you have described your choices for uni. What was your university experience like?
It was good. In the first year we all got taught the same base points and values because it’s quite a niche and specialist degree, some people go into the course with very little experience and others have a lot more experience with making. Like I know some of the years after me had been professional production potters before so they knew what they were doing. I only had about half a years experience and it was very much “we can’t do this, we can’t do that” because college although is a great introduction
to ceramics, it was very limited in facilities which is nothing against them, they just can’t really afford it.
So it was great in the first year because the first term was dedicated to showing us the basics. How to throw, how to wedge, how to slab build, how to coil, how to pinch. All these different skills so everyone started in the same place. Then the second and third terms were more building on those skills, practising and figuring out what you enjoy doing and what you didn’t want to work on as much. It was a very explorativery year also
focusing on honing skills. 5
Then in your second year I’m going to take something my uni friend said about second year,
“ The second year is more for experimentation.”
Which is kind of true because in second year you have these skills and because its your second year you are halfway through the course. You can just experiment with these new skills and try different things and try out all these different techniques. You get to find out what you really want to do for your third year, because in my second year I was really into sculptural stuff. I did enjoy making sculptural stuff but I think in hindsight I did find it harder to find inspiration for sculptural work. Towards
the end of my second year, like in the last week or so of a project in my second year my tutors were like,
7
“These are really nice sculptures but what if you tried to make them functional?�
And that was a fun challenge!
9
Also from that I realised I really enjoyed making functional work, enjoying that people used my work. Depending on the sculpture you can’t really use sculptures in a functional way they are more art. I’m not saying anything against that I do sometimes just love art and it can be beautiful but it’s not what I want to do.
Then in the third year you really hone in on one skill and direction, that’s what you do.
For me it was functional and throwing. 11
You become a mini expert at it, obviously you are not as good as the people doing it for decades but thats your speciality. And that’s what you for for third year, and you make sure you do that.
Were there any major positives or negatives during uni? Anything that stands out as a positive or a setback ?
Positives -
I’d say the community. 13
Everyone has their own space, their own desk space and each area is split off in terms of years, but it’s one big floor. There’s no walls, obviously we have big boards up to divide the areas a little bit, but it’s completely open. And the layout changes every year because they’re trying to find the best way to make it workable for everyone. Every year has their different opinions of what’s workable and they say “we want this, we’d like to have this” so they change the space accordingly. But
then it is open plan, so you can have conversations, you can be sat at your desk and have conversations with a master’s student, a first year, a second year, a third year... You can ask them for advice, and because you have to share kilns with everyone - so you have to fill up a kiln - you first go off to go to your year, see if anyone’s got space or has any work to go in it. Then you go to the second years, first years, and also the artist designer maker students. You just sort of get to know everyone, which is
really cool.
Negatives - I’d say that sometimes it’s hard to get hold of the tutors. And that’s not their fault, it’s simply because there are two tutors for ceramics - well two and a half, really. One of them’s part time and she only does the third years and master’s students, so when you’re in your first and second year you don’t see her at all. So there’s two other tutors and then there’s three technicians and bless the technicians. They work so very hard, but sometimes they’re not there when you need them and that’s not their
fault - there’s not really enough staff, and it’s more to do with funding and such.
why I think it’s beneficial for me to do it.” Well... beneficial not necessarily just for yourself, but in a wider perspective as well. Especially in your third year it’s about context and placing yourself in the wider world, and you’re not just doing it for you.
Another good thing is you get to do what you want, and it’s encouraged to do what you want. As long as you can put in the work and time and effort to research it. So “This is what I like, this is why I like it, this is why I want to do it and this is
15
How is it now that you’ve just finished uni? What do you find hard now you are out of uni?
Doing the work!
It’s finding the motivation to do the work. It’s not that I don’t want to do it, it’s just when I’m at uni you’ve got deadlines, you’ve got things you’re working towards. But now I’m not in uni I haven’t got deadlines and so it’s like: “I’ve got this other thing that needs to really be done today, so I’ll do that today. And now I’ve got this, and now there’s no time in the day to do that...”. I find I’m “putting off” a bit more. It’s not to say I don’t want to do it, I just am struggling to find the motivation. For
different people it’s going to be different. I know some people who’ve gone out of uni who are still really motivated doing stuff all the time - that’s a personality thing, and it’s a “person” thing and it’s different for each person. And it’s not a bad thing if you can’t motivate yourself, you just have to find a way that will motivate you. So for me,
that’s finding myself deadlines and such. 17
also it’s the equipment coming out of university,
because it is expensive equipment
It is a lot of money getting it.
But the thing is, it’s an investment. And if you really want to do it, think:
19
“Once you’ve bought it that’s it”
You’ve bought it. You don’t need to buy it again for another for another 10, 20, 30 years because they last. They’re built to last, they’re sturdy, they’re strong. It’s just finding that initial investment. What I did was while I was in uni - because around my second year I decided I wanted to keep doing Ceramics because I was really enjoying it - I started asking my relatives to group together at my Birthday and Christmas and put in the money to buy me one piece of equipment at a time. So it wasn’t a huge
strain on any one of them, and they were all contributing a small amount. And slowly over a couple of years, I managed to get everything so when I came out of uni I had the base tools of what I needed to keep working, which was a big help. It’s just finding a way of getting those tools you need. For some people it’s applying for residencies and going on residences where things like tools and materials are provided. For other people it’s getting the stuff yourself, and then for other people it’s working
with another potter in their studio and helping them. Then in your spare time being able to use their kiln, as a sort of small payment and a small thank you for the other stuff you’re doing as well. Everyone’s got their different ways of doing it, but it’s about finding your own way.
21
What plans do you have now that you’ve finished uni?
Go to shows and create deadlines for myself,
in that sense. Because if I’m going to a show, I need to have stuff to take to the show. And I need to make sure I’ve got enough so that if I’m selling stuff, I’m not going to run out. So my plan is to book in for lots of shows, go to shows, get the stuff made and then keep building all that up and build up my stock. Even for people who do really well in the shows, they don’t sell everything. You’re always taking stuff back and forth, but that stuff… well for some people it also goes onto their website. And for me it goes
onto my website as well.
23
“I’m here, I exist!”
The thing is with shows, one you are sometimes there selling your work there face to face to the customer, but it’s also networking and it’s getting you known out there, telling people
I make this stuff and I will continue to make this stuff and I will be at these shows in the future. I have this website and you can access me here, here and here.� And it is networking, and getting yourself out there and
making sure people know you. 25
What would you say the main benefit is to doing shows?
There’s a big social side to it, because
the ceramics community is quite a small community
and everyone knows everyone else. And it’s a very friendly community. I’ve been to a couple of shows - not exhibiting just walking around - and as soon as I mention to the people there I’m a ceramicist and just out of uni and just kind of setting myself up, they’re suddenly offloading all this information on to me of where to go, which sites are best to get supplies from, “This is a really helpful group to join”, “This is a really great show but don’t go to this one so much, it’s not so good for when you’re
just starting out”. And all this really good information because… well there is competition obviously because you’re all trying to sell your work, but there’s no competition - like everyone wants to support everyone else. The thing is with ceramics is
27
even if you are considered a “master”, you’re still learning.
And when you enter it you know everyone else is still learning and you want to help and you want advice. And obviously there are some people who do have their secret glaze recipes and stuff. But even then they’re still helpful people and they will help you with other things, they just won’t give you that one specific detail because it’s their thing.
29
So in the same sort of vein, of coming out of uni and being a young designer, what are the pros and cons of being a young designer. Or a young ceramist, even?
Well you can do whatever you want!
That’s one of the pros is you can do whatever you want. That’s also one of the cons, ‘cause you have to do “whatever you want” but also if you want to make a living from it you have to do “what you want”
and then get other people to like it and buy it.
So it’s finding that middle ground. But I guess the struggle is just getting started and getting into a rhythm of work. It’s getting a work ethic really, is what it is. So once you’ve got a work ethic sorted then you can do more, and you can create more, and you can go to more things and you can expand yourself further. It’s just the first few steps I’d say are really important in getting yourself set up, making sure you know what you’re doing and you know where you want to go. And don’t just flounder.
31
So this is a little bit more off topic, going into more of the visual side of what you do. What inspires what you’re creating right now?
Kind of what I see in the garden, basically
The two main designs I’ve got at the moment are the garlic flower things and the poppy flower things, and they’re both things I see in the garden. The wild poppies we get, they come up every year. We didn’t plant them, they just appeared. Well, they were there before we moved in, actually. So they’ve been there long before us. And they just appear and they come in the summer and they look really pretty and then they go. Poppies, I find, have a really pretty shape and I really like them and they’re
just… there! And they’re really bright, and happy and colourful. And with the wild garlic flowers... again they just come every spring. They just appear in the garden, along with all the garlic and it smells really wonderful. But the thing with that one was more to do with - the design for that one came when I was doing my last year of uni and trying to figure out what I wanted to do on my work then. And it got to…
33
I don’t know. It was probably a bit because I was a bit homesick and because there’s
a path that I walked along to get to uni everyday, and wild garlic grew on this path and it was a small reminder of home.
35
Also they’re very pretty flowers! And you can create really nice designs and patterns with them, and that’s where that one came from.
As well, the physical craft of them, what was sort of the inspiration there? In our conversations there’s usually a lot about functionality, so do you think that’s a driving factor in what you physically create now?
Yep.
Everything I make has to be functional. And 37
that’s something I’ve imposed on myself.
Not in a bad way - I want it to be functional. So first and foremost it has to be functional. And to me, functional is something that’s easy to use. Obviously you can get functional things that aren’t easy to use but I want mine to be easy to use and simple. So nice big open bowls, flat plates - (well I’d hope flat plates!) -
Not in a bad way - I want it to be functional. So first and foremost it has to be functional. And to me, functional is something that’s easy to use. Obviously you can get functional things that aren’t easy to use but I want mine to be easy to use and simple. So nice big open bowls, flat plates - (well I’d hope flat plates!) -
and mugs with big handles that you can put your hands in. 39
Because little handles that you can’t fit So it’s important they’re functional, but your fingers in is a big pet peeve of mine! also alongside that it’s important that I can put my design onto them. They need to be a surface that it’s easy to add designs to. So not much embellishment, not much “fancy stuff” going on, just needs to be an easy surface. An easy canvas to work on.
Do you look at things and you think: “Right. I don’t want to make it like that.” And using that as a motivation?
Oh yeah. Especially if I come across a little mug or a teacup that’s got a handle you can barely fit a finger in, I’m like “No. Absolutely not.” But there are other things as well, like there are certain shapes of things I think “I don’t like that very much”. Like we have square plates in the house, and they’re just simple white square plates and square bowls and they’re quite cool and funky but… no! Especially with the bowls, it’s just difficult using them sometimes because they’re square! And I’m kind of there thinking
“Why on earth would you make a square bowl?”. 41
What is your favourite thing about the ceramic process?
Well... I enjoy all aspects of it
because when I’m throwing stuff on the wheel, it’s very therapeutic because it’s muscle memory and you don’t really think about what you’re doing. Sure, you think “I’m making a plate” or “I’m making a bowl” or a jug... But after that
you’re not really thinking, because it’s just muscle memory
and you don’t need to think. So that’s very therapeutic and I enjoy that a lot.
43
Then putting the actual design on them is fun in a different way because each one is different - so I get to play about with the composition of each one. Then also I get a very satisfying moment of peeling up the paper strips and seeing them peel away - and it’s very satisfying doing that! And then you get onto the firing, and there is nothing more satisfying then opening up a kiln and taking out a piece of ceramic that hasn’t just fallen apart in the kiln! And seeing what the glaze looks like - it’s stressful
sometimes especially if you’re using a new glaze and you haven’t tested it yet, which sometimes happens. And you’re hoping it’s going to work ok and you get it out, and sometimes it’s awful and it hasn’t worked out and
you just want to sit there and cry.
But then other times it looks amazing and
45
it’s the best thing ever.
And so the whole process is just a lot of fun.
47
Do you think your wish to create functional pieces was through seeing a lack of functional design or more just to add to what is there?
I think within university, there was a lack of it. Simply because while at university, I was still doing an art course. And while it was encouraged to do what you wanted - so things like functional - I think more people (well, certainly in my year) went down the sculptural, more “artistic” route because that’s what they wanted to do. And with some of the tutors it was encouraged that you do the more “artistic” stuff. Which I get because they’re an art school and they’re teaching you to be artists. So there was
a distinct lack of real “function-wear”, in my year at least.
And I don’t think I was doing functional stuff just because nobody else was doing it, I think I was also doing it because I enjoy people using the stuff I make. Especially with the mugs I made, when they were finished they’d just be sat on
my desk and then if someone needed a mug for a cup of tea or cup of coffee they’d ask “Can I borrow one of your mugs” and I’d say “Sure! Go ahead!”. And I do like people to use it, and I think that’s the main thing for me -
it’s the enjoyment of people using the stuff I’ve made
rather than just looking at it and go “Hhm. That’s nice”. Obviously they don’t do that, but that’s a simple way of describing it.
49
Do you feel like you have a target audience, or do you feel it’s more like you create and then whoever comes to like it - that’s the audience?
I think at the moment it is more
“I make and whoever likes it that’s my audience.”
I think maybe in later years I may develop an idea of whom my target audience may be, but I don’t think I’ll ever create specifically for an audience. Unless of course, I’m being commissioned for something - but that’s different. Because being commissioned, someone’s seen my work and they’ve liked it and they want a more personalised version of it. But in general, I don’t think I’d make specifically for a target audience.
That kind of takes the fun out of it for me. 51