Rachel Carter
West Kin thanks, local potter Rachel Carter for taking time out of her busy day, in preparation for Waitakere Open Studios, to give us an insight into her creative process
Interview & photography: Sheryl Burson
I don’t think you could describe a job as more hands-on than that of a Potter. I was lucky enough to witness Rachel, seemingly effortlessly take a lump of clay and present me with a plate. I was so mesmerised, I’d not taken enough shots and video. Kindly she obliged me with a repeat and I witnessed the magic again. I asked if she had strong hands. “Men have stronger hands and women work stronger on technique” was her reply. I’m sure the pictures reveal just what a strong technique she has.
1 How long have you been doing pottery and why?
I began my Diploma in Ceramic Arts thirteen years ago now. I’d previously tried to go down the more traditional route of Uni and working in a corporate environment but it really wasn’t for me. I needed to be working in something that was visual, tactile and creative. I decided to immerse myself in ceramics even though I’d only done the odd class in it but it turns out to have been a good decision.
2 How do you plan a piece, do you sketch or free form?
I sketch my forms first but it’s really not until you actually make the form on the wheel do you see whether it actually works or not. Proportion, balance and scale are all intertwined and you can’t really establish the relationship between them until the form is there in front of you.
3 Is there a favourite part of the process?
I love sitting at the wheel, throwing. It really is the most satisfying part of the process for me. It then takes just as long to put the semi-dry pieces back on the wheel to trim the foot rings and then as long again to glaze the pieces. My days throwing are the most enjoyable part of the process even if it is throwing 50 of the same bowl repeatedly.
4 What does being involved in the Open Studios mean to you?
It’s been great to move into a creative area and I’m looking forward to being part of the Open Studios. Often as a maker, you don’t get to connect with the people who buy your work from
galleries and stores. It’s nice to actually meet the people you’re making for.
5 What does Creativity mean to you?
I’m constantly absorbing information, visual, technical and conceptual. Then in the more quiet moments, I get to process all those ideas coming in and distil them down into one object. The most important part of that creative process is having the time, the time to let the ideas percolate.
6 Do you feel inspired by the environment of the West?
Yes, but I think it is the calmness and serenity of the surrounding environment that I’m channelling into my work, rather than the visual aspects of the environment. As a potter, the dampness and getting work to dry in the Waitakeres has been a little challenging. But to be surrounded by bush like this, and the bird life in it makes the trouble more than worth it.
