Today we’d like to introduce you to Frank Vickery. They and their team shared their story with us below:
Frank Vickery has been working in clay for 20 years, with multiple years devoted to instruction in clay arts. His ceramic works and teaching approach center around the contributing education model of workshops, academia, and dedicated studio hours. Frank started his career as a middle school art teacher in Rock Hill, South Carolina. His graduate work was completed at Western Carolina University, where he earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in 2012. Frank is currently the Director of Ceramics at The Bascom, teaching ceramics classes. Frank is known for the quality of his work, his dedication to the field of ceramics, and his enthusiastic ability to share his talent and knowledge with his students.
Artist Statement: “Working with clay is not a supplemental part of my life; it is an essential component of my existence. As a child, barefoot in the mud, I molded mud castles from my imagination and covered myself in costumes of muck; that is how it began: a love for the plentiful material beneath my feet. Through study, process, and practice, my understanding of the possibilities of clay as a material for creation has grown far beyond the mud puddles of my youth. A part of me and the journey it took to get here exists in every piece.”
Would it have been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Overall, it has been relatively smooth. Although it has taken a lot of hard work, long hours in the studio, constant trial and error, and failure, upon failure, until one small door opens, and then another. Persistence, dedicated studio hours, and a little luck have helped me.
I appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I work at a small non-profit art center in Highlands, NC, called The Bascom. I began in 2010 as The Bascom’s first resident artist and am now the program director. The studio has an open studio model where artists can purchase to work. We host 10 workshops annually by professional artists from around the region and ongoing youth pottery classes. The studio’s big annual event is called The Annual Bascom Clay Symposium, where we invite three artists to demonstrate and explain their techniques, inspirations, and processes. This event usually takes place at the end of September each year, and in 2024, it will be in its 14th year.
My current work is the ever-elusive crystalline glaze and copper red glaze. There can be many failures, but when all goes well, the effects are stunning. Crystalline glaze is mixed in small batches using a few ingredients and is very fluid. The pot is placed on a pedestal, which stands in a dish to catch the runoff during the firing and fired in an oxidized atmosphere. When the kiln reaches the maximum temperature of 2365 ºF, it is rapidly cooled to a specific holding temperature. The temperature is then raised and lowered, held at certain lengths to create the different bands and sizes of the crystal structure. This is when the crystals form in the glaze, which occurs randomly, making each pot unique. Some pots are fired multiple times, sometimes with glaze reapplied before each new firing. The process of re-firing creates unique color development and crystal structure. After the kiln has cooled and the pots are unloaded, the catch dish and pedestal are removed. I use a sanding disc, a diamond-plated sanding wheel, and diamond-engrained sanding pads to smooth the bottom of each piece. This process marries my appreciation for classical forms with the sensual properties of the crystalline glaze. The copper-red glaze is fired in a reduced atmosphere to temps around 2380 and then downfired to reduce pin-holing and glaze smoothness. Some copper red pieces are fired like the crystalline firing schedule above, but just in a gas kiln with reduction.
When I am working, my imagination takes hold; images form and shapes appear, prototypes of the product are spinning in 3-D in my hands, and with the clay and skills I have learned and practiced, I can bring that form to life. Sometimes, ideas come to me through clients. Most of the time, though, it is my mind challenging my skill, pushing the limit of my ability and understanding at that moment. As I continue to work on an idea or form, new challenges are presented. Then instinct takes over, familiarity with the process, the freedom of imagination, and creative problem-solving techniques take over. Working with clay is complex, repetitive, easily derailing, and constantly challenging. Not all ventures are successful, but through constant tenacity, I find those moments important for my creativity.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those just starting.
Making art becomes only a small part of the overall process as an artist progresses. Making good business decisions is paramount if you want to be successful. Having an interest or experience in social media and marketing the work, yourself, your process, etc, is also an excellent way to get noticed and get opportunities. Some art schools may incorporate that now. I enjoy doing the work, and the rest is something I am learning.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @frankvickerypottery
Image Credits
Portrait: Chelsea Cronkite @chelseacronkite, Work: Tim Barnwell @timbarnwellphotography
