David Tholfson
CCC artist David Tholfson says “ceramics saved my life in high school where I was lucky to have the East Coast funk ceramicist Toby Bonagurio as my teacher.” Since then he continued to refine his ideas as a sculpture/ceramics major, but never really grasped the technical side of clay, relying on the clay to impose its will on what to do.
Focusing on his music and performance work after college, he returned to clay when he was offered a small kiln to take home and got excited about raku firing. “It’s a great way to ensure the surface was part of the form”
Now he relies on hump and slump molds for structure, makes his own stencils using the SolidWorks modeling program and a 2-D cutter. He fills the stencils that press onto slabs with local dry clay dust. “I’m really fascinated with the idea of many things inhabiting the same space so textures swell over patterns. Someday, maybe I’ll figure out how to actuate the insides of the vessels."
Please check out David Tholfsons new Instagram account: www.instagram.com/placebo_ceramics
