Meet The Potter
Paige Valentine
What is your Name (and Pronouns)? My name is Paige Valentine, she/her.
What is your everyday occupation? I’m the Lead Studio Technician at TPS.
When did you begin working with clay? And what was the first memorable piece you made? I remember my first clay class was in high school at an after school program at The Armory in Pasadena. It was a wheel throwing class that included hand building. The first piece that really comes to mind is a toilet pipe that I ended up gifting to my grandmother. It felt hilarious hiking to a secluded smoke spot to smoke out of a toilet pipe with my friends.
What most influenced your creativity early in life? I come from a very creative family. I grew up helping my mom in her hat shop in Los Angeles. I was obsessed with using the glue gun with her felt scraps. My father was a painter and carpenter, and his parents were both artists. I think being surrounded by that and always doing small craft projects from an early age made it very natural to be creative.
How would you describe your work? I have a hard time describing my work. I think my work is overly complicated yet simple, with many parts and components to make a whole. I see my work as very honest, and very much me. Because I never start with a clear plan for my work, I’m constantly investigating and problem solving for something I will never have the answer to or know.
For your solo show at Corner Shop in Sausalito, many of your subjects are found objects, animals, and elements of nature- often carrying narratives. How did these themes come about? Animals are very important to me. I’m very much interested in interspecies connection and compassion/empathy for animals. I’m constantly trying to check myself to not overly anthropomorphize them, but there’s a sort of magic that I am so drawn to with them. As a collector of knick-knacks, I too am inspired by our emotional connection to smaller objects. I like finding very subjective meaning and attachment to banal or cute things.
What inspires you most: form, glaze, or firing (e.g., soda firing)? The process of firing really inspires me. I honestly hate glazing! Soda firing offers that “third hand” that sort of absolves me from making a decisive decision. I’m let off the hook mentally, from its ultimate success and/or failure due to my indecision.
How has your work evolved over time? I initially went to school for a degree in painting. Its interesting to see how that is still an important part of my work even though I took a break from painting when I rediscovered my love for the tactility of ceramics. My work has gotten more complicated and more specific in its functionality (it actually being functional too). I think working at the studio has made me more informed of my craft, and it really shows.
Who are some artists you admire? I really love Betty Woodman, Saul Steinberg, Magdalena Suarez Frimkess, Karin Gulbran, Anais De Los Santos, and more... It’s so hard to remember!
What piece of advice has had the greatest impact on your work? I have two. “Don’t be afraid to ask.” If you never ask it’s an automatic no, and if you do and it’s not a yes, you now have planted a seed and they may know someone who has the answer for you. The next is more of a mindset- “Make it Happen”. This is for powering through and just doing it. I think it’s important to try, even if it’s somewhat risky or someone says it’ll fail, it’s important to find that line of too far for yourself and your practice. What’s the worst that can happen? If it doesn’t work out now you have a new way not to do it. That is so important for me.
What are your favorite ways to stay environmentally conscious as a potter? I am very scrappy. I often make things out of forgotten/old clay and use a lot of second hand tools and materials. Also use little to no water.
What’s the most indispensable item in your studio or workspace? Fork or metal rib- I can’t choose.
What’s the most inspiring thing you’ve seen, read, watched, or listened to recently? I recently read the Ed Hardy interview by V. Vale, put out by Re Search. I don’t think I have ever read an artist interview that hit home about being an artist and working as that. Also, reading about his time in SF and SFAI, I highly recommend. I’ve also been watching the BBC historical farm series on YouTube, and it has been great and informative to watch in the studio.
What does a perfect day in the studio look like for you? A perfect day in the studio is starting off with a hefty breakfast. I always leave something to complete from a previous studio visit, so starting off with finishing that to get me into a flow state. Also, a perfect studio day is one where I’m not hunched over for too long!
If you had a small grant to create a project now, what would you do? If I had a small grant— I would go bigger. Not that I can’t right now, but I think it would be the perfect push to do the big fountain I’ve always been thinking about. Like why not? “Big Fun Interactive Ceramics.”
Interview article and photography by Inhae Lee