Ben Carter Santa Cruz, California
BIOGRAPHY
STATEMENT
Ben Carter is a studio potter, workshop leader, and social media enthusiast based in Santa Cruz, CA. He received his BFA in Ceramics/ Painting from Appalachian State University, and his MFA in Ceramics from the University of Florida. His professional experience includes being an artist-in-residence at the Odyssey Center for Ceramic Art in Asheville, NC, as well as Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Snowmass, CO, the Archie Bray Foundation in Helena, MT, and the Ceramic Research Center Guldagergaard in Skelskor, Denmark. From 2010-2012 he served as the Education Director of the Pottery Workshop in Shanghai, China. He has lectured and presented workshops at universities and craft centers in the United States, Canada, China, Australia, and New Zealand. He has exhibited internationally in numerous invitational and juried shows, and was recently named 2016 Ceramic Artist of the Year by Ceramics Monthly and Pottery Making Illustrated. In addition to his studio work he is the creator/ host of the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler blog and podcast, where he interviews artists about their craft, creativity, and lifestyle.
Traveling internationally has sparked my interest in identifying the structures and practices that make up material culture and societal organization. My personal research focuses on the interplay between culinary traditions and material culture in the southern Unites States. Functional objects, whether ceramic or otherwise, embody the values and beliefs of both the maker and the user. I am interested in the reciprocal relationship that forms between object and user in which both are altered by the day-to-day interaction of use.
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In my studio practice I reference symbols of my native Virginian identity, such as the dogwood flower, white picket fence, and whitewashed brick. These nostalgic decorative motifs are familiar and accessible, conveying the graciousness of Southern hospitality. Through the act of use, my forms serve a commemorative role, highlighting the cultural importance of communal dining on the family structure. My current body of work expands the cultural context of the work with the addition of other design motifs, including folk art motifs, quilting and textiles, and horticultural drawings. Along with research into surface design, I am exploring forms that accompany American culinary practices, including butter dishes, iced tea sets, and deviled egg trays.
In addition to my studio work I have been actively documenting ceramic history through the recording of audio interviews with artists and ceramic supporters. I use my podcast, Tales of a Red Clay Rambler, as a platform to inform people about the development of ceramic aesthetics, processes, and traditions. Since 2012 I have recorded over 130 interviews with leaders in the field from Australia, Canada, China, Japan, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, and the United States. These interviews are released to the public to support community building, while also allowing me to form a body of knowledge for a future book on the state of the field in ceramics. In the coming two years I will continue to conduct interviews with the goal of publishing my findings within the next three years. Both my studio work and documentation of the field represent my interest in personal and social history. As a visual artist these histories are given physical form through my functional ceramics.