Randy Carlson - Studies in Copper & Iron

For most of forty-five years clay has always had a particular attraction for me. I am continually amazed at the way the material can be transformed from an amorphous and undefined mass into an object that displays the considerations and design of the artist. Ceramic objects can be sculptural, utilitarian, architectural, decorative. Clay objects have been some of the most coveted and the most mundane. Cultures have fought wars over ceramic objects. Clay has recorded the history of humankind for over thirty thousand years and is still involved in reflecting the world today.

When I consider making my work, there are two main concerns that are central to my thinking. First is the idea of form. I choose to work within the realm of utilitarian pottery tradition that suggests a range of forms for use. Primarily my pieces are thrown on the wheel and altered from that static central axis. Sometimes, they are often encouraged to lean in one direction or another to express some energy in their stance.

The second critical concern is surface. Once the form and attitude are established I strive to create surfaces with rich color and textural variations that are established in a sodium fired atmosphere. For almost thirty years I have been pursuing a narrow range of materials to achieve a continually evolving range of color and shifting visual textures. My primary colorants of choice are copper and iron and are the focus of my search for possibilities of these interactions. Learning to layer the materials and firing within a range of cone ten to cone eleven, I continue to reveal more and more possibilities.

While working in the studio context I find that forms often create a relational dialog. Pieces relate and attract to each other when arranged in proximity. The forms have some sympathetic relationship but the spaces in between become active as well. This relational attraction is sometimes part of the design of relational aspects of the individual pieces but also the way that color and texture of the pieces relate to one another. - Randy Carlson

Randy Carlson holds a B.A. degree in art from Luther College, and M.A. in print making from the University of Iowa and an M.F.A. from Bradley University in ceramics. He worked as a production potter for three potteries in Minnesota, Maine and Wisconsin before starting his teaching career.

In 1993 he started teaching ceramics and foundation classes at Bradley University for one-year term. Twenty-nine years later he is still at Bradley University teaching all levels of ceramics. In addition to the teaching duties, he is Graduate Coordinator for the Department of Art.

He established the Central Time Zone Ceramics Exhibition at Bradley. This is a biennial event with the seventh show scheduled for spring 2023.

He has traveled internationally to visit ceramic sites in Japan, England, Belgium, Finland and France. Randy has also participated in the Study Abroad program at Bradley taking students to Paris and London.

Randy Carlson has performed several workshops in variety of college and university venues in the U.S and at the Atelier Cirkel in Belgium.

Carlson’s work has been exhibited in juried regional, national and international exhibitions in nearly one hundred and fifty shows in over twenty-six different states.

Exhibition opportunities have included one-person shows at: Dartmouth University, Anderson University, Anderson South Carolina: Rio Grande University, Rio Grande, Ohio: Craft Alliance, St. Louis. Group exhibits have included: The First Ceramics Monthly International, NECCA Conference, Columbus, OH: Jersey Shore National, Surf City, NJ: Pitcher This, UNCP Pembroke, NC: Pour, Terra Incognito Gallery, LaGrange, IL: Vasefinder International, (virtual exhibit) curated by Robin Hopper, Vasefinder International (virtual exhibit) curated by John Glick, Strictly Functional curated by Simon Leach, Strictly Functional curated by Jack Troy,

His work has been published in Ceramic Monthly magazine, Lark Books 500 Pitchers, Lark Books 500 Teapots 2nd Edition, The Art and Craft of Clay, by Susan Peterson

Museum Collections include: Ceramic Research Center, Herberger Museum, Arizona State University and the Everson Museum, Syracuse, New York.