Camille Paloma Walton & Michelle Walton - Mar 26'
Artist Interview
'In the Hills'
by Camille Paloma Walton & Michelle Walton
Q 1. Although your audience doesn’t perhaps see it, you’ve both relied on the medium of clay as a default, also tied to your heritage. Can you tell us what this means to you both in practice and in concept, and how you came to this moment where you decided together to focus on ceramics?
C - Clay was never a default for me. Ceramics were always around us through my nana and her partner Mirek, which helped form my appreciation for the art form, but the knowledge behind the craft was never actively passed down. I only really dabbled in it as a child through art classes with my mum.
I have always felt the urge to test new mediums, which led me to enrol in a night class a couple years ago. Through trawling YouTube I then discovered nerikomi and immediately knew this was the worm hole I wanted to fall down.
Mum’s history with clay and her understanding of millefiori were incredibly valuable, so I set up a space in her studio and worked there weekly, eventually enticing her back into clay alongside me.
Once we had the exhibition date in place and a clear concept, the ideas flooded in. The learning curve has been steep, which is evident from the ‘not quite good enough’ pots lining the shelves. It feels like something we are only just beginning to properly explore, but we are both completely hooked.
M - I have been lucky to have access to clay since I was 10 and my mother started potting, and soon after she started living with Mirek Smíšek, a well known potter. I have not used the medium consistently, although I love the tactile quality of clay I found its limitations discouraging. Over the last couple of years I have revisited clay to have a more immediate experience, in contrast to the paper works, but nothing solid came of it until Camille introduced me to the Nerikomi technique and that was the catalyst to our wonderful venture together exploring the possibilities of this technique.
Q 2. How does the practice of handling clay effect your work in other mediums, and vice versa, what do you learn from working with metal (Camille) and paper (Michelle) that you bring to the process of ceramics?
C - It may sound strange but I find metalwork more forgiving and free, whereas clay, likely because of the forms we’ve chosen to use, has been a real test in my patience and perseverance. That could simply come down to not feeling as familiar with the medium. I think the motifs carry across both, but beyond that I’m not sure they overlap in any significant way, or perhaps I have yet to understand the connection. Either way, the contrast makes switching between them feel like a welcomed break.
M - There are no doubt connections, it would be strange if one art form didn't inform the other but that is just a natural process that I don't feel the need to consider.
Q 3. Michelle, you’ve been teaching art in schools for several years now, and Camille, it seems more and more your jewellery is crafted in cooperation with each client. What does creative collaboration mean to you, and - we are dying to know - what was it like working on this show with your next of kin?
C - I adore working with my mum. I regularly turn up with some new idea I think we should try together, although this collection has felt more significant.
We work in such opposite ways, I am bold and slap-happy with clay whilst Mum is more deliberate and considered.
This contrast and the constant exchange of opinions sharpens the work. When a new idea actually works, sharing that excitement is more enjoyable.
Honestly, there has been no downside apart from the mess I tend to leave behind before I head back to my studio for the week.
M - I love that Camille and I have naturally eased into working together. My art classes began when I realised how receptive my kids were to art activities, and we had a lot of fun making all sorts of cool things. Now it’s Camille constantly bringing new ideas to me. We really enjoy sharing our enthusiasm and bouncing ideas off each other. It’s also a nice change from the solitude of studio life for both of us.
Q 4. You’ve both devoted much time and effort into creating an ideal environment within your homes for art-making. Camille, did watching your mother reserve space for craft instil this in you? And do your spaces and processes differ/relate in certain ways.
C - Both my mum and dad have had dedicated studios my whole life. It always felt like a necessity, something they prioritised.
When my partner and I bought our first home, one of the first things we did was design and build my studio in the front garden. I now live quite similarly to my parents, spending my days in the studio, mostly in solitude, with breaks to tend the garden. It’s something I’m really grateful to have carried into my own life.
Ngā mihi nui
