I was fortunate enough to work with Jessica Bulter and Jim Macdonald for a series "Our Heart and Hands" in September 2014.
This was when my aunt Isabella St. John and I were making work for our exhibit, "LEGACY; New Work Two Generations" at The Craft Council of NL.
Please take a moment to view our film.http://vimeo.com/85932293
Produced by Jessica Bulter
Filmed and edited by
Jim Macdonald
Second camera
Kyle Taylor
When creating I express myself intuitively and my ideas are always changing and evolving. Change is a persistent part of my process. I need to be challenged by my materials and ideas, amidst the change and variety in my work I feel calm and I understand my need for diversity. I explore my subconscious through materials and investigate the human mind as part of my design process. In Dreams (2010) a ceramic sculpture, I recorded my dreams every morning then carved, painted, and used a wax resist to apply the text on a thrown form.
I am eager and curious about the world of craft and fine art. I am passionate about learning and always choose to be in a community where the creative process is explored and ideas are exchanged. I follow the joy involved in the labor of creation.
Erin Callahan St. John
Clay is intuitive, comfortable and cozy. It responds to my imagination so gently and cooperatively it seems part of me. I was fortunate to play with clay as a small child and felt at home when I attempted projects in school. My aunts studio, Blue Moon Pottery, is always inviting and suited to any project. I brought ceramics to the stage with friends from the circus, helping to transform a pile of slip cast porcelain moose femurs to a pile of shards after a juggling session. A filmed performance in a Halifax graveyard brought all kinds of attention, photographers to firemen and embarrassed police men. This project was inspired by my infatuation with the circus and the joy of bringing ceramics out of the studio and on to the stage, challenging function. Jugglers 2010 is short black and white available on my website. Shortly following I became enamored with the Canadian food guide and consumption in our “first world” country. I recreated what an average Canadian consumes per year with slip cast food; pigs, fish, strawberries, eggplant, brussels sprouts, sugar cubes, and more. Each item represented a pound of fruit, meat or vegetables. From there I got carried away with mixing up the kitchen and the kiln room. Blurring the role of ceramics in the kitchen. A local chef prepared my ceramic food and a willing audience joined me in a photo shoot to consume a three course meal. Then I took those photographs and assembled them into a book, available on my website, Feast 2010. |
Slip casting still fascinates me and next I was slip casting speculum in bone china. These were displayed in two exhibitions at NSCADU, Recent Speculations 2011 and Ceramics Exhibition 2011. The focus on woman's health, personal experience and lack of discussion and comfort with the speculum. Such a beautiful object is rarely seen outside the doctors office and those who see it dismiss it as another medical tool with negative connotations. I brought this finely crafted, unusual looking object out of context to enjoy the delicate shape without the baggage of cervical examinations. My recent project has been a series of bowls and platters with birds in St. John's Harbour. The bowls are thrown and hand painted and the platters are slab built with rope texture on reverse. These bird dishes have inspired a exhibition with Isabella St. John and myself at the Craft Council of Newfoundland and Labrador for February 2014. Together we will make a porcelain dinner set, decorated images of local birds and foliage found in the Battery of St. John's Harbour. Erin Callahan St. John 2013 |