Meet the Artist: Olivia Ferrer
Hello! My name is Olivia, and I am one of the two artists that make up Crescent Clay. We’re so excited to bring you bi-weekly blog postings about our experiences in clay, things we’re up to, and other fun topics that interest us and might interest you too!
We thought that the best way to kick things off would be to introduce ourselves so you could get to know a little bit more about us as artists and people, and see what our work is all about. The following is a bit about me: how I got into clay, what inspires me, and how I look at my body of work.
Getting My Hands Dirty
I first touched clay in elementary school, taking summer classes at a rec center near my home. The results of these summer exploits…well, they varied…but I loved having permission to get muddy up to my elbows for two or three hours at a time each week. In high school, clay became the center of my world, and I would come home with my clothes caked in clay practically every day.
Over the next four years, under the study and mentorship of Julia Cardone (an amazing potter and ceramics teacher extraordinaire!), I learned more about clay than I would have ever bargained for. Outside of having some really fantastic experiences like going on trips to Baltimore Clayworks and participating in wood, soda, and cone 10 firings, Julia guided us through the world of ceramics in a life changing way. Whether you like it or not, clay teaches you many life lessons. Patience is a big one, for example. Being a part of a studio community gave me the skills to make and receive both complements and constructive criticism, work with and around others, and participate in the shared value system and little ecosystem of that space. I could really go on and on forever about this experience because it truly cemented my love of clay into a lifelong passion.
For my AP portfolio submission I overtook a study room with an installation called Introspection that consisted of a series of five coiled busts and globe pairs that were inspired by the different ways that light and dark present themselves, and the emotions that they can evoke. I’m incredibly grateful for this special time, not only because I was able to create some really fun projects, but I gained so much from Julia’s mentorship and friendship, which continues today! Another amazing person that I had the opportunity meet and study alongside of was Jess!
Both avid clay kids at the time, Jess and I saw a lot of each other in high school and had several opportunities to collaborate that created the partnership we have today. In 2015 Julia asked us to create her wedding cake plate. This was a truly special opportunity for us as we not only got to show our love and appreciation for our teacher, we also got to be a part of her special day! That piece went on to be shown at the show, Across the Table, at NCECA, 2015. Now Jess may differ on this but, in my opinion, it was in 2016 that Jess and I were forever bonded, when we acted as co-instructors at our school’s summer ceramics camp intensive for around ten elementary-age students. Although the summer was a wild ride, it gave us the opportunity to learn how our personalities worked together, and it gave us both the inspiration and vision of an idea that would become Crescent Clay.
Outside of Crescent Clay, I am pursuing a career as an arts administrator. After receiving my undergraduate degree from American University in Business Administration, I pursued a Master’s in Arts Management from George Mason University, which I will complete in 2021. Connecting people to each other and to themselves through the arts is something that I am passionate about both in and outside of Crescent Clay, and I hope to use my career supporting the arts so that more people can find positivity and peace through making and consuming all types of art.
What Inspires My Body of Work
I’ve always found ceramics to be a unique medium because it has a way of connecting people and working itself into our daily functions in a manner that no other art form does. Without the first clay pots we would not have the ability to transfer food and water from one place to another. Since food is such a universally important element of every community and culture, it is critical in forming basic human connections. For me, as someone who happens to live with many life-threatening food allergies, food has not always had that connecting element for me. Often living with this condition has created a barrier instead, when it comes to dining.
Making primarily functional work gives me the opportunity to participate in this communal ritual and in many ways take back control through the vessels and forms which hold sustenance. Recently, I have been working to reinvent my relationship to food by using cooking to learn about my own background and connect with others. As I make pottery, I am conscious of how each piece will function with the user and across the table.
Visually, my work is still in a very transformative stage. I am working consistently to find my own voice, style, and unique imprint on the clay. My forms are simple and useful, sleek and linear. On the surface, I enjoy the juxtaposition of natural elements against more abstract colors and features. This sometimes comes out through the use of bright, primary colors against naturalistic textures (wood) or shapes (waves and clouds). Overall, my making is a work in progress as I come into my own as a potter.
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Aspirations for the Future
Ceramic art is really a bottomless pit of possibility. There is so much that I want to experiment with and test out. My goal for the future is just to continue learning. Some things you might see from my future work are decals and transfers, which I hope to incorporate onto my surface more. I’m constantly seeking out new skills and watching other amazing potters with awe, and I want to test some different techniques for myself, including slip casting, altering, creating modular serving vessels, and the list goes on.
I’m excited to see where Crescent Clay takes Jess and me as we traverse digital and physical marketplaces and share with you our stories and ware. Crescent Clay is more than just a business to me, it’s a community that Jess and I are building. Whether you’re seeing us on social media, on our website, or on the street at a craft market, we are always here to engage and get pumped about pots with you! And, if you’ve read until the end, I appreciate you for being a part of our community!
You can check out more of my work on the Galleries page of our website and find some of my work in our Shop.
Thanks for reading,
Olivia