Matthew Eames
BIOGRAPHY
Matthew Eames is a ceramic artist born on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. In 2007, he received his BFA in Ceramics from the University of Hartford. After graduating, he took a residency position at the Worcester Center for Crafts and a year later he began working as a Studio Resident Technician. Matthew then attended a post-baccalaureate program at the University of Arkansas and went on to earn his MFA in Ceramics from Wichita State University in 2013. After graduate school, he moved to the Aspen Valley for the Carbondale Clay Center’s Residency, which transitioned into a full time position as the Studio and Gallery Manager. Matthew has had the privilege of exhibiting in many national shows, including a solo exhibition at the Ulrich Museum of Art in Wichita, Kansas, and an installation for NCECA’s Project Space at the 2017 conference.
ARTIST STATEMENT
I am fascinated by the development of structure. With my work, I look to interpret structure and the space it inhabits through physical and emotional layers. My use of color, space, angles and movement are all meant to trigger some amount of discomfort towards our built spaces. By presenting incomplete junctions of materials juxtaposed with recognizable structural elements, this work is a reminder of the lack of permanence that exists within our constructed realities.
Q&A WITH THE ARTIST
Carbondale Clay Center (CCC): What’s your favorite beverage recipe?
Matthew Eames (ME): Old Fashioned
2 shots of a good whiskey/bourbon(I like Bulliet Bourbon)
1 shot of simple syrup
1 Luxardo Cherry
1 Orange peel
Dash of Angostura bitters
Put one large cube in a glass(or two regular sized ice cubes). Splash a dash of bitters on the ice. Drop one whole Luxardo Cherry in the glass. Pour one shot of whiskey over ice then one shot of simple syrup and finish with second shot of whiskey. Take orange peel and twist. Garnish rim of glass with the orange rind for flavor. Finish drink by stirring with orange peel and dropping peel in glass. Enjoy!
CCC: When creating a mug, I often hear about the detail and time taken for the handle. Do you have a handle size and type that you prefer to use? Why? Does that directly inform your creative process?
ME: I personally choose to labor over handles for the mugs I make. I find it incredibly important to the utility and comfort to hold a mug with a well-made handle. In making or when looking at other pots, I often gravitate towards a single finger or pistol handled mug for its feel and fit in my hand. It is a continuous search but one that I investigate with every mug I hold or make.
CCC: What makes handmade pottery unique to you? Why use a handmade object to sip your coffee, tea, water, etc.?
ME: It’s all about the feel for me. I know that the pot was made with love and dedication for its purpose and utility in the world of pots. The story of each pot is relived with every use and often you can feel the care and attention to detail. For me there is not substitute for the handmade pot!
CCC: How do color, surface, and form influence your work? Does each of those design elements play equal roles in your making process? Is one emphasized over others?
ME: I have always been attracted to more simplistic forms with minimal surfaces. I enjoy the use of colors and how the glaze will affect the final product. I tend to use bright transparent colors to really showcase the subtle form/surface that I design. I enjoy the intricate details of pottery and look for ways to give them a shining moment.