About the artist
Amy is a ceramist with a Bachelor of Arts (Fine Art) with Distinction, RMIT University, Melbourne.
The opportunity
Amy was offered the opportunity to complete a ten-week residency at Anderson Ranch Arts Centre in Colorado and to present at the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts conference. Amy’s residency enabled her to continue to produce similar works to those she had made in the past, but she was exposed to new work-creation approaches that have further informed hers. Amy was able to experiment and push her own processes to find new, improved ways of doing things. This ranged from using computer aided technologies to design, while at the same time experimenting with more traditional ways of working such as the wood and soda firing of ceramics.
She enjoyed the environment of the residency, taking the opportunity to learn from other artists (using different mediums and from diverse countries and backgrounds) through observation and dialogue. She says this was incredibly inspirational for her practice. And she was able to use her involvement in the residency to gain access to other opportunities that would not have been available to her otherwise, including a private tour of the studio of Jun Kaneko – “arguably the most significant ceramic artist in the US today”.
Outcomes
Amy’s time in the US helped her to grow in confidence and realise her value and talents as an artist. Her report makes it clear that she was greatly affected by the environments that she immersed herself in, both professionally and personally. She notes that observing how other artists worked and their approach to their practices has reinforced the necessity for experimentation and courage in her own practice.
Next steps
Amy’s experiences in America inspired her to go straight back into the studio. She began teaching a ceramics class in her local area and planned to develop her skills and abilities by undertaking a masters degree, either in Australia or overseas.
In September 2012, Amy presented a paper on her work at Subversive, the 2012 Australian Ceramic Triennial where she discussed processes she was exposed to at Anderson Ranch. Her work was exhibited at Jam Factory, Adelaide, during the Triennial.
