John McKeag

Studio 1+1

Ceramicist

©Valerie Giannandrea

©B. McConnell

©Valerie Giannandrea

Thinking through clay

John's pieces investigate form and colour
He often uses multiple firings to achieve the final look
He pushes his ceramics to the limit

John McKeag is a maker who thinks through clay. He works intuitively, allowing room in his approach for ‘things to happen’. He often leaves a piece to sit for weeks, months or years until he is ready to return to it. Using multiple firings, he creates textured and brightly coloured surfaces; a signature influenced by his training as a painter. His most recent work looks at the vessel as a form that occupies space and contains space. He creates double walled vessels which play with the solidity of the form by perforating the surface; creating small windows into the interior. His passion for his material is clear and he described it as allowing him to live a creative life, connect on a deeper level to himself and the world around him.

Interview

©Valerie Giannandrea

©J. McKeag

What did you make as a child?: I remember carving small boats out of balsa wood, I think I was around nine years old. I wasn’t very adept, and the knife was very sharp. With time and practice, it became a more enjoyable and less painful experience. An early lesson in persistence perhaps!
Where do you get the inspiration for your colours and textures?: Aged six I moved with my family from Ireland to Australia. I spent the first few weeks squinting and keeping my head to the ground. It was another world of colour, texture and space; a sensory overload. At first it was too much, but later I couldn’t get enough.
What is a memorable moment in your professional life?: A comment from a gallery owner at one of my first big shows. After looking at the work, he uttered, “nearly, but not quite,” then walked away. I remember being upset at the time, but criticism is part of the deal and has to be accepted, and can lead to improvement.
What is special about clay?: What is special, is that, as a material, its nothing special. It’s the earth beneath our feet. Used through the ages by diverse cultures, to produce a staggering variety of objects for all aspects of life. From the start I was attracted to its malleability and mutability.

John McKeag is an expert artisan: he began his career in 2000