EB: Who introduced you to clay- and what were your early pots like?
Heerspink: Growing up I was privileged to attend a school were the arts were regularly taught. Due to this, I was introduced to clay at a fairly early age. However, it wasn’t until my junior year of undergrad that I was completely captivated by this versatile medium. In 2005 I enrolled in my first college level ceramics class. Through the instruction of Anna Greidanus, I quickly realized that I had found my passion. My early pots were thickly thrown, poorly trimmed, lopsided versions of what loosely resembled mugs. As my skills developed so did the work. Looking back at my earlier work I have noticed common elements that persistently continue to show up. These early pots were electric fired porcelain with overlapping thicknesses of different colored brushed lines, often in a repeating pattern. The repetition of shapes and the thin controlled line continue to interest me and play an important role in my current work.
EB: Our mutual friend, Mark Arnold, introduced me to your work a couple of years ago. He described it like- What if there was handmade pottery in Star Wars? I found the question and concept absolutely fascinating. So what’s with the obsession? Obviously you’re not alone, but what was it that captivated you?
Heerspink: I was 12 the first time I saw Star Wars: A New Hope. With the first notes of the opening title and the iconic scrolling text I was interested, as soon as those first ships flew overhead, firing green and red laser bolts I was hopelessly hooked. As I have aged the reasons I like these films have perhaps not changed, but deepened. As a 12-year- old boy, I was fascinated by the technology of space ships and light sabers and of course the action of the films. (I mean what 12-year- old wouldn’t want a light saber.) Now, as a 33-year- old “man”, there is an element of nostalgia that is comforting. These movies have become really good friends; friends you know everything about and can finish their sentences. But more than that, I find myself increasingly interested in the design elements of the film; set, costume, and props. This interest in the design (more than the characters or story) is what influences my work.
EB: When did your love of Star Wars and ceramics finally merge?
Heerspink: It was Joe Page, my graduate instructor, who first asked me why I was not letting my work be influenced by such an obvious obsession. In graduate school I would often be found working in the studio with the original Star Wars trilogy playing on my computer. The simple answer to Joe’s question was that I didn’t think it would be appropriate for the work to be influenced by something so pop culture and “nerdy”. Through the prodding and guidance of Joe, my work took a complete 180 degree turn during my last semester. Instead of making the functional work I had been doing my entire time in grad school, I started to explore sculptures that were influence by the mechanical workings of the space ships in Star Wars. Following graduation, while I still have an interest in sculpture, my work turned back to functional ceramics, but the influence of these films has remained.
EB: You could have approached this body of work from so many angles- imagery, character’s faces, etc. It seems like you’ve put yourself into the shoes of the intergalactic potter. How did you arrive at this point of view?
Heerspink: Like most artists, my work has evolved over time. Graduate school was a period of intense change that often seemed disjointed at the time. Looking back at the work, I can now see more clearly connections between various bodies. Entering college, I had intended to become an engineer. I was interested in engineering because of my fascination with machinery and drawing. In particular it was the crisp precise lines of mechanical drawing that drew me in. I lasted one semester before I realized that I wasn’t meant to be an engineer. However, I took that interest in line with me. It emerged in my early pots as a decorative element both brushed and carved. Later in graduate school, this fascination manifested itself as mechanical drawings that were screen printed onto the forms. Crisp precise lines continue to play a prominent role in my current work. When I began my investigations into this series I knew I wanted to avoid imagery that overtly screamed Star Wars. This was ultimately due to the fact that the work is about more than just those films. I am just as interested in how the formal elements of shape, color and line interact. Repetition and pattern as well as symmetry and asymmetry are explored within the work. The pots are just as much about these formal concerns as they are about Star Wars. I do enjoy the subtle references within the work to the films. One of my favorite moments to witness is when someone is looking at my work, turning the piece over in their hands, then turns to the person they are with and says, “I think this is from Star Wars”.
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Check out Heerspink’s solo show HERE.
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