Randy Johnston | Personal Vocabulary in Form and Function
July 21 – 25
Students in this workshop will be making pottery within traditional concepts, with a focus on the exchange of ideas that are involved in the making of pots that relate to function. Randy Johnston will lead demonstrations that cover the use of the wheel and the construction of forms by altering thrown pieces and by using slabs and extrusions. There will be discussions of glazes and slips and their use over textured surfaces.
This will be an exciting workshop with lots of personal instruction. The participants will conduct daily discussions about the work in progress and view periodic slide shows of historical and contemporary work in ceramics. Using stoneware clays, the workshop students will explore form and function, relative to their individual style.
Bio:
After four years of study with Warren MacKenzie, Randy established and maintained a studio in River Falls Wisconsin since 1972. He has an MFA from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, Randy studied with living national treasure Tatsuzo Shimaoka of Mashiko, Japan in1975 and has been a guest artist and lecturer at numerous colleges and art schools. His work has been included in scores of exhibitions and both of their works have been featured in STUDIO POTTER, CERAMIC ART AND PERCEPTION AND CERAMICS MONTHLY. Randy was awarded two visual artist fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1979 and in 1991.
Randy had a large role in reintroducing wood firing to the United States and continues to explore the spiritual and ritualistic qualities of wood firing in his large Japanese style kilns. He will discuss the processes of wood firing.
