What a lovely chat with Kalinko about my studio practice, ideas around objects and spaces, as well as exploring the links between my work with hand built ceramics and as a film photographer.

Below is an excerpt from the interview and you can read the full chat by clicking the link at the bottom of the page.

The tangible nature of making feels most apparent when you yourself feel an object that has been crafted by hand. There may be smooth lines but also little imperfections; not flaws as much as markers of uniqueness. A pot pinched by hand will look different each time, giving it a little personality that you inherit as soon as it belongs to you. The grain of film photography does a similar thing - it might pick up more light and expose an image that would be otherwise “perfect” on a digital camera; but isn’t that what makes it more special?

Tor Harrison is au fait with these notions, as both a photographer and ceramicist. Growing up in Cornwall but spending her time roaming between California, New York and Italy, then settling back down in Cornwall by the Helford River, Tor’s work - both her photography and ceramics - reflect the ebb and flow of coastal life. We caught up with Tor to talk about shooting, making and how they work together.

Why is working with your hands – the tangible nature of making – so important to you?

There is something profoundly human about making things. An almost primal instinct to just make; to sculpt, shape and create - whether it’s making bread, plaiting hair or shaping a vase from soft clay. We have this ability to use our hands with such dexterity that really blows me away. In my work I can slap and pound the clay in one moment and be the most delicate, fine and gentle in the next. I also particularly love the stripped back nature of hand building: minimal tools, minimal intervention, slowly in conversation with the clay.

How did becoming a ceramicist happen for you?

Quite by accident! I used to have a plant store in a small Cornish town and my neighbour at the time was an incredible potter. We used to sit together in the mornings and drink coffee and sometimes I would play with pieces of clay. It was so satisfying to touch and work with and Hannah was kind enough to teach me how to manipulate it with my hands to create shapes and forms like cups and bowls. I slowly carried on playing and making over the years, fascinated by the absorbing quality that hand building allows for. It is slow and repetitive and completely meditative for my brain - sometimes I can achieve a really beautiful flow state. Years later I am still enthralled by it and feel like I am constantly learning, growing, being humbled and finding joyfulness in just making.

Do you see a correlation between ceramics and photography?

Absolutely, they both contain a mystery to me. The chemical reactions that take place in the firing and developing stages respectively both add another element to my work that allows for magic and mistakes. It feels more collaborative somehow and like other forces have an impact on what is created. I also get joy from delayed gratification, the anticipation of waiting adds something special.

kalinko