A two-part “masterclass” in ceramic art kicks off at the Carbondale Clay Center this weekend, led by local sculptor, painter and photographer Kris Cox.
The artist found his knack for ceramics more than five decades ago, as a student at the Claremont Colleges in California. One of his mentors there, Paul Soldner, was a pioneer of the “American raku” kiln firing technique and a co-founder of the Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Snowmass Village. (Cox would later work with Soldner to establish the ceramics studio at Anderson Ranch, according to a press release from Carbondale Clay.)
“I went (to college) with the idea I was going to be an orthodontist, and reversed course,” Cox said in an interview at his Carbondale studio on Wednesday.
Though he “fell in love with ceramics,” Cox has since expanded his practice: He now works with conventional and unconventional materials alike, from paints and photographs to heavy metal chains and furniture. This weekend’s masterclass, with a focus on “exploring ceramic techniques,” will encourage experimentation.
“I want to talk about how people can make their work grow,” Cox said.
That can require both technical and philosophical learning, he believes, with an “open and critical” mind.
“I'm trusting my intuition,” Cox said. “I've absorbed so much over these years, and I'm not afraid to try things. I'm not afraid to embarrass myself. … That's why my work has such range.”
This weekend’s workshop takes place Saturday and Sunday at the Carbondale Clay Center. Then, in mid-March, Cox will lead a demonstration of the American raku technique, which involves firing clay in a kiln, then cooling it in water and smoking it to crackle the glaze. The firing will take place at the center, followed by a reception for participants at Cox’s studio.
“Clay is probably one of the most restorative therapeutic mediums that one can be involved with, so I always enjoy going back to it,” Cox said. “And … because I have a vocabulary in this clay that developed over all of these years, I feel that I can open some doors or windows to people with their work.”
More information is available at carbondaleclay.org.
