Tyler Morrison will be demonstrating his process and approach to creating and using glazes in ceramics, and how they are used in a range of processes from electric kiln firing to more specific processes like Raku. We will also be asking the artist questions about his approach to ceramics, trimming, studio management, and the traditions in ceramic culture that inspire him. The demo will be live from the artist’s studio as he prepares for an upcoming Raku firing, a process that involves glazed ceramics taken from a hot kiln and placed in a reduction chamber, generally with combustable materials.

Morrison is a NH-based ceramicist and educator. His focus is on functional work, emphasizing simplicity, sustainability, self-reliance, and humility. A lot of the work is made from recycled material, processed from studio waste. Primarily focusing on wheel throwing, Morrison also mixes his own glazes and prepares his clay. He is also an educator and teaches ceramic classes at AVA Gallery.

Morrison’s work pulls from historic ceramic processes. His wheel throwing techniques are adapted from industrial pottery techniques of Southeast Asia, and his aesthetic is heavily influenced by folk potters of Japan and England. Morrison will be demonstrating his process for throwing, and discussing firing and glazing.

“I see pottery making as a vehicle for social well-being, and the studio as a temple of civic virtue. Local production of pottery is one method of teaching our society about labor, a way to introduce important behaviors like cooperation, and a means to create community self-sufficiency.” -The Artist