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Ann Korologos Gallery visits the Woody Creek, CO studio of ceramic artist Michael Wisner. Michael shares the process of balancing and smoothing his pinch-coiled ceramic vessels, the symmetry of which is the foundation for the patterns of nature’s architecture rested into the clay by Wisner. Watch the “sunflower” pattern unfold as Michael shares about his process, the inspiration and observation of the calix of a sunflower, and how working with your given tools – in his case, his hands – is a smart choice.
Michael Wisner presses patterns inspired by nature into clay vessels he creates from the land. His process starts outside with a shovel, where he harvests natural clay from Owl Creek Road, filters out dirt, rocks and organic matter to create fine clay, and forms vessels through a pinch and coil method – building entirely by hand. These traditions, using materials available from the land, he learned over years living with Native American communities, and his late teacher famed Mexican artist Juan Quezada.
While he was drawn to these traditions, they did not feel like home to him. With the encouragement and support of Quezada, Wisner explored ways to make the process his own “as any artist worth their salt will do.” His idea lifted him off the surface of the clay into three dimensional repeating patterns inspired by “nature’s architecture” – the calix of a sunflower, the base of a pinecone, the scales of a snake fruit. Michael eventually taught his teacher this new method.
Meticulously, and with ease, Wisner starts at the mouth of a blank “leather hard” form, and presses each pattern by hand. The colors of the final pieces are derived not from glazes, but from the colors of the clay, iron oxide, or carbon added to the kiln, continuing the tradition of working with the land. Enjoy this body of work freshly delivered from Woody Creek by Michael Wisner.
