Hand of the Artist
I was first introduced to the phrase by my ceramics professor, Terri Frew. One day we were discussing the results of a recent glaze firing and I expressed my distain for the trimming lines on one of my bowls. Terri took a moment to emphasize how seeing the hand of the artist in pottery is beautiful and often sought after. I was very early on in my ceramics career at this point, so I didn’t really get it. Only when I was able to make “perfect” and pristine pottery did I notice that I lost something that made it unique. The forms felt like mine, but the finish felt cold. When I loosened my grip on control I found new dynamic self expression through deliberate and unintentional imperfection. "Hand of the Artist" is an saying that embodies authenticity and is an inherent part of my love for ceramics as a medium. My goal is to invoke a feeling of serendipitous intention and purpose in my work; To make art that inspires question and thought rather than leading to an answer.
The Artist
My name is Eric Gencheff and I am a ceramicist based in Door County, WI. I graduated from Michigan Tech and moved to Sturgeon Bay to work as a mechanical engineer in June 2023. After a year and a half I quit my job for personal reasons and found myself at a crossroads between going back to work a desk job for money & misery, or turn my passion into my profession. Obviously, I took the latter option. Turns out learning to be an engineer is much more fun than being one. Ceramics and art in general allow me to continually learn and explore my creativity. I’m able to find a healthy balance between (enjoyably) monotonous work and conscious mentally taxing work. Art has also enabled me to find community by having something to share with people. In fact, a few of my close friends and I have a little dream to open a studio/gallery + coffee shop + restaurant + bar. A collaborative where people can enjoy great coffee, food, and drinks served in beautiful hand made pottery!
The Work
I mostly create wheel thrown forms made from various mid-high fire stoneware and porcelain clay bodies. The functional dish-ware I produce is generally very light; a finished medium sized bowl (~6” or 15 cm diameter) will weigh roughly 1 lb or 500 g. Pottery that is intended for handling such as my cups, bowls, and plates are made to feel satisfying to use. Conversely, larger form pots (vases and cookware) don’t gain anything from being very light. Vases benefit from being heavier to remain stable while holding contents, and cookware can be used confidently when made to be more durable. Regardless of the size/form, great care and attention goes in to the foot rings of all the wheel thrown pots I make. Functionally a foot ring creates a place for the glaze to meet the clay body, the clay body to meet the setting surface, and for hands to have a place to rest when the pot is in use. Having a finished bottom on the piece says a lot about the creator and makes a pot feel professional & finished. If you ever have the opportunity to get to know my work, I hope you’ll take a moment to appreciate all aspects of the art in your hand!
The Teacher
I was first introduced to clay as a medium when I took a general ceramics course to fill the required art elective credit to complete my mechanical engineering degree at Michigan Tech. That’s it! Terri is an extraordinary artist, but prefaced that wheel throwing was not her strong-suit when doing a throwing demo for the class. Everything I’ve learned thus far has been self taught from watching basic tutorials and through countless hours of practice. I would like to work as an apprentice one day to diversify the pottery styles I’m exposed to one day, but I’m still finding my voice as a potter at this time.
The Influences
Florian Gadsby
Moondobang
Mark Kolinski & Ellen Levenhagen
Terri Jo Frew