Here, we ask designers to take a selfie and give us an inside look at their life.
Age: 29
Occupation: Co-studio manager at BKLYN CLAY.
Instagram: @andershamilton_
Hometown: Fargo, ND.
Studio location: Brooklyn, NY.
Describe what you make: I make sculpture and functional objects. My work is often both at the same time. It all stems back to pottery as a gateway to sculpture.
The most important thing you’ve designed to date: A sundial I made on the side of the road while driving through the Chihuahuan Desert in New Mexico. The basic form I used set my last four years of work in motion. It sits on a shelf in my bedroom, I look at it every morning while I drink coffee.
Describe the problem your work solves: This is definitely a personal problem, but I have a desire for objects to have multiple states of existence. This is most apparent with the sundial sculptures—they have an active state in the sun and a passive state indoors as a record of time. I ask the same thing of design objects. The Crater Cup for BKLYN CLAY Made, for example, is entirely functional and meant to be used, but I treat the surface the same way I would a sculpture. It’s about finding the right texture and color so that the object can hold space the way a sculpture might. I like to think of them being left half-full somewhere in the house and becoming an accidental work on display, rediscovered for just a moment.
Describe the project you are working on now: I’m in the middle of designing a vase that will complement the Crater Cup line. I’m excited about having a larger surface area to experiment with texture and spraying glaze.
A new or forthcoming project we should know about: Two new editions of the Crater Cup for BKLYN CLAY Made are now available. These editions have a sprayed stucco like texture that intensifies shadows and false light. They will first be available in a mint green / blood red combination and white with a lavender liner.
What you absolutely must have in your studio: Something to sip on… coffee or seltzer.
What you do when you’re not working: I try to be pretty intentional about relaxing when I’m not working. This usually revolves around a good meal and a few friends.
Sources of creative envy: Ron Nagle, Peter Fischli and David Weiss, Hilma af Klint, George Ohr, and Magdalena Suarez Frimkess.
The distraction you want to eliminate: Instagram, but not complete elimination—there’s some good stuff on there.
Concrete or marble? Concrete (polished).
High-rise or townhouse? Townhouse.
Remember or forget? Forget the concept of time when in the studio. Unless there’s a deadline, don’t forget those.
Aliens or ghosts? Aliens. I already know ghosts are real.
Dark or light? Light! Real or perceived light is a big part of my work right now. It’s also good to feel “light” in the studio, and not take things too seriously.
