Member Spotlight Interview: Jes Fisher

Wild Bower Studio catches up with Studio Member, Jes Fisher as she hones her craft, launches her website and pursues her passion.

Could you tell us a bit about you and how you got to the place where you are now? 

I’ve always been a hands-on person. Even as a kid I loved building and assembling anything I could get my hands on. I was known to take any opportunity I got to get muddy. It took me a bit longer to figure out that I should be focusing that energy into creativity. I moved to New York City a few years ago and it has been a very mind opening experience for me. I’d been floating around for the last few years of my life—unsure of what my passions were or the direction I wanted my life to move in. I live in Brooklyn and nanny part-time now. This has given me the schedule and flexibility to branch out, take classes, and try new things. It has been an incredible growing experience for me. 

If I’m being honest, I never really considered the option of pursuing a creative field until very recently. Ceramics wasn’t even on my radar until last year. I did not grow up with a lot of money and I thought if I was going to go to college I needed to choose something responsible and respectable. Jokes on me since I ended up picking psychology. But in all seriousness, I always considered art to be a hobby—a thing you did on the side when you got a break from your real job. I didn't have any artistic or creative people in my life. The last five years I have gone through some big life and mindset changes. I’ve had the opportunity to try new things and surround myself with people who push me to be better and try more. 

How long have you been working in ceramics? What lead you into working with ceramics? Is it the history, material, process, community or something else? Did you take classes or are you self taught? 

I’ve been working with clay for about a year and a half. I took one class back in 2018, but I am mostly self-taught. When I began throwing I was dealing with a lot of anxiety and I was desperate for a way to occupy my mind. The repetition and control required was calming and centering. I was instantly addicted. A few years prior I had been going through intense therapy. For a good portion of my life I have struggled with severe anxiety and OCD. Coincidentally, one of the most effective techniques I was given to cope when I was feeling anxious was to sit down and imagine something spinning. I would focus on and control the speed, slowing down and speeding up, until I felt my heart rate slow and my breath return to a normal pattern. Wheel throwing has a similar quality with a hands-on application. Throwing has given me a physical outlet for the tension I feel inside, but I think the reason I am drawn back to it is because it gives me the opportunity to take parts of myself that I have always looked down on and create something beautiful from them. 

What is your process usually like? Are there any rituals or philosophes that you follow? Do you have a specific shape or end goal in mind when starting a piece, or do you let it form as you work?

Does listening to The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill on repeat count as a ritual?

I mentioned before that I want all of my work to have intention. I spend a significant chunk of my time weighing each ball of clay, measuring each piece, and working toward making cohesive sets. Very rarely do I sit down with no plan at all. Much of my time is spent thinking through and sketching out ideas so by the time I get to the studio I’m eager to shift those ideas from my mind to my hands. I describe my work as clean and technically proficient because these characteristics are the result of me focusing the unease and tension I feel almost constantly and focusing them all into my hands. As a result, I feel the shapes and finishes in my work are the results of my internal centering being expressed physically.

What is it like to be a New York City-based artist? What makes this community unique? 

If anyone had told me five years ago that I would move to New York and pursue any artistic venture I would have laughed at them. This life is nothing I ever would have imagined for myself and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. When I first got here I felt very out of place and listless. I was accustomed to having a large group of friends and a busy schedule. I had been searching for people who can relate to me. Studios have provided that. Working and learning in shared studios has been so beneficial for me. I have met so many amazing new people and had the opportunity to learn and expand and observe in a way I never would have otherwise. 

New York has provided the space for me to learn, grow, and create as well as a diverse landscape in which I have been able to discover and express myself. I do struggle with how I should “brand” myself as an artist in New York. There is a lot of competition. I have been hesitant to step out and present my work, but I have been learning that honesty and transparency is very important. I am unsure of how I would like to be perceived by the world. I am still learning and growing, and I do not need to be perfect or have it all together at this point. I have been working to give myself the space and flexibility to grow. 

Where do you see your practice moving towards? Are there any new techniques or forms you’d like to try in the future? 

I would like to start throwing larger forms. I am not a big person, so I have had to practice and learn how to hold my body in the correct position to control larger amount for clay. I have been watching and admiring potters who can put multiple large pieces together and make massive forms. A lot of the ideas I have would require me to throw bigger. I still have so much to learn when it comes to throwing and hand building. I am intrigued by color and texture. I want to learn everything there is to learn. I have been reading a lot of firing and glaze mixing. That is probably the next move for me. I would also like to get to the point that I can see my work through from start to finish. I have plans to take a glaze mixing workshop in early January that I am very excited for. I have also experimented quite a bit with alternative firing methods. I’ve experimented with a few rounds of pit firing and would like to get into salt firing and raku. 

On your website you characterize your style as sleek, tactile, functional with clean, sharp edges and a neutral color palette with an emphasis on the technical. How did you develop this style and what draws you to being technical?

I strive for my work to have intention. Personally, I find a lot of value in completing tasks as efficiently, thoroughly, and correctly as I possibly can. If I am going to put my name on something, I want to know that it was the best I had to offer. I have always been a detail-oriented human. I have historically been negative about and embarrassed by having OCD. Ceramics has helped me come into my own and not only accept the condition of my mind but thrive because of it. Throwing has given me a space to focus this energy into a productive practice. I have a tendency to pinpoint flaws or problems and find a way to fix them. I have always been big on puzzles and problem solving. I wouldn’t say I am drawn to being technical, rather it is just my natural state of being. 

Another part of me that has a big effect on why I work the way I do is being a black woman.  Finding my voice and my role is an issue I have been working through. Having melanin in America is difficult for many reasons, but a big contributor to me is that society, both historically and in general, has always pushed the black woman down. At times it has felt easier to be quiet and not make waves, but more recently I’ve been attempting to actively choose a different perspective. In a world that is constantly trying to put me down, I choose to rise above the pressures, expectations, and obstacles instead of avoiding or ignoring them. I have been pushing myself to be the best that I possibly can to be perceived as a hard-working bad bitch that can’t be ignored. 

You recently launched your own online shop. Congrats! How does it feel? What made you decide to start selling your work? 

I ran out of space in my apartment. If I kept bringing home more work my roommates might have evicted me. We were at mug and planter capacity. However, I also started selling my work because I finally felt I was producing pieces that I was comfortable putting my name on and sending out into the world. Stepping out and selling my work has been both exciting and terrifying but I am eager to do more.

Even though your online shop is pretty new, where would you like to see it go? Will you be participating in any markets, working in wholesale, etc?

At this point I am still getting a grasp on what kind of work I want to put out. I have been working toward having a more focused style—finding shapes and finishes I feel embody who I am as an artist. I would like to see my work progress toward mostly one-off pieces or sets. I like the idea of making pieces that will be more unique to the owner and the space they inhabit. Though I love to make pieces that match, I don't think I want to move toward wholesale at this point. I would still like to give myself space and flexibility to make anything I want. If anyone wants anything specific they should email me. I am always open to commissions. 

Do you have any dream projects that you would love to make a reality?

At this point I have a lot of dreams for the future. I hope to one day be able to move away from making pieces that are mostly functional. I would like to move toward more decorative pieces—pieces we don't hold in our hands. Pieces that stand alone outside of function. Recently I have also been fantasizing about lighting designs with thrown porcelain. On a smaller more short-term scale, I would like to teach and get my work into shops and markets.

If people want to keep up-to-date on your adventures, where should they go?

To keep up with me I would recommend following @jmf.ceramics on instagram or heading over to my site at jmfceramics.com.

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Thank you for reading our latest Studio Member Spotlight Interview with Jes Fisher.

Purchasing a Used Kiln - what to ask and look for

Kilns are essential to running a studio but typically come with a hefty price tag, so naturally I started scouring the internet for other options when building out our Catskills’ Studio. If you are a Tri State area (NY, CT, PA) potter you know that good used kilns and pottery equipment don’t pop up very often or for very long so I jumped on the chance when one presented itself. It was a bit of a risk as I’ve actually never purchased a used kiln before and had limited knowledge in how to inspect one. Now that I’ve lived with our used kiln for a little over 3 months I’d like to impart what I’ve learned in the process. I will say that used kilns are great for people who are more handy as you’re probably going to need to fix it up a bit.

Okay, so you’re to searching for a used kiln - Great!

First you need to decide what kind of kiln you are looking for - brand, type (electric, gas, etc), cone (temp the kiln can reach - make sure your studio has the right electric) and size. Then figure out how long you have to get a kiln up and running. For me, I was looking for an electric Skutt kiln around the size of a KM 1027 that could reach cone 5 / 6. Luckily for me I found a KM 1227 that could be converted to a 240 volt, which would allow me to fire to cone 6. It did however take a lot longer to get this kiln up and running than I had allotted for this studio.

Ask the right questions:

• How old is the kiln?

• What type of controller does it have?

• How old are the elements, thermocouple and relays (a good kiln owner will have a list of these things)?

• What has been fired in the kiln (is it typically low fired/high fired, lead glazes)?

• When was it last fired?

• What is included in this purchase (kiln furniture, vent)?

When inspecting a used kiln:

• Plug it in to make sure it turns on.

• Check out the exterior: there should be a name plate that tells you about the kiln, are there any burn marks on the metal, rust, things falling off?

• How does the interior look - crumbling bricks (look at the walls, bottom and top), glaze stuck to everything?

• Bring tools! Unplug the kiln and open the computer and inspecting the parts including pulling out the insulation to check on the relays etc - are all of the wires intact, is nothing melted, or burn marks?

All of this inspection will help you to determine what repairs need to be done vs how much you are paying for the kiln vs how much time it’ll take to get your kiln working. This is not a fast process and shouldn’t be rushed as used kilns can become money pits especially for someone who is hiring another to fix it all. Whatever kiln you decide on, spend time researching the price of replacement parts prior to seeing the kiln. You’ll have a much better chance of avoiding a lemon if you do.

Did I miss anything? Add your thoughts to the comments below.