2010 Vendor Spotlight: Vicki Hartman

What can we say? We are all just smitten with with Vicki Hartman. Every year she brings a different focus and sophistication to her work and this year is no exception. I can't wait for you all to see her amazing wall hangings!

Where are you and your studio located?

I work out of my home in the South Wedge neighborhood in Rochester, NY. My attic is where I work with wet clay and then down to the basement I go to bisque fire, glaze and fire again. It means a lot of shlepping heavy clay up and down stairs, but I am so delighted to get to work out of my home.



How did you get started in clay?

I started working with ceramics seriously in college in 1996. I was originally attracted to clay for its pleasing tactile qualities, I love the feel of it in all its stages and how forgiving it can be; soft and manipulatable. I grew to love it more when I really started to appreciate how ubiquitous it is, how almost everyone has some connection to it. Its universality and inclusivity is meaningful, it is accessible and not precious, we have all touched it and we all use it daily.



What are influences your work the most?

I am conceptually influenced by human relationships. Also by human interaction with landscape and architecture. I am inspired by abstract expressionist painters, and contemporary ceramic artists like Jun Kaneko and Mary Fisher.



What is your favorite part about working in clay?

The part where I let go of everything and turn the kiln on and hope for the best. After hours of firing and then cooling, I get to open the kiln and see what happened. That letting go after so much involvement is always a little hard and exciting, it is a kind of surrender, which for me always feels relaxing and tense at the same time.



If you happened to be in the Syracuse, NY are this past weekend, perhaps you saw Vicki at the Salt City Urban Art + Craft Market. You can also find her work here and here.