Jorrdan Barroso / Punky Pottery

"I aspire to create pottery/art that expresses something in me that resonates with others. Something deep in our humanness that connects us together without knowing anything about each other." - Jorrdan Barroso

My latest #inspirations4aspirations interview is with ceramicist and artist Jorrdan Barroso (@punky_pottery @zoo_tycoon_irl).

I first met Jorrdan at my friend’s art markets, and pottery markets where friends were selling work. Her pottery drew my attention through her eye-catching glaze colors and textures. Whether more practical cups and vases or more abstract sculptural pieces, each have their own personality.

Some bear intricate patterns, abstract colors, or aspects of nature like frogs, planets, or mushrooms. I am especially drawn to the vessels with protruding faces - some with tongues out or wide-eyed expressions.

Jorrdan is also passionate about animals. She is a longtime volunteer for animal rescue & fostering organizations, but has her own ever growing family of dogs, cats, pigs and a tortoise. Her instagram stories feature many a comical animal picture. I have enjoyed exchanging animal puns with her.

For the visual, I looked to the surrealist, René Magritte. Specifically, his 1935 painting La Clef des songes (The Interpretation of Dreams). I felt the subject focus of animals and everyday objects mixed with absurd comedy fit Jordan’s artistic style.

I illustrated Jorrdan, a sampling of her animal friends, and amalgamations of her ceramic work in a rough style, unintentionally akin to folk or medieval art. I borrowed some of Magritte’s mischievous typography for the piece to include the Punky Pottery name.

1) Why do you create?

Five years ago, I might have said something like: "I create to prove to myself that I can." Maybe that sounds cliche and trite, but I grew up in a family of artists, decorators, musicians who were deities to me. I never felt I had the same talent or gift or skill or whatever you call that stirred-and-mixed-up feeling you get when you see someone create something from nothing. That feeling? I couldn't replicate it.

One day, I tried something new, I started playing with some second-hand dirt (clay) on a 1970's barely-holding-on potters wheel and I'd like to say I was hooked - but that's not quite true either.

In reality, I spent the first year or two making slop-patties with nothing to show for all of my hours of practice. I liked that I didn't have to show anyone, I liked being alone and I liked not having anyone to compare myself to.

Now, I create as an offering to myself and remembrance to the people I've loved. I can create things that have historically only lived in my minds eye and I finally feel like I can relate to the people that shaped me.

2) When life gets you down, what inspires you to get back up?

I can't imagine I'd get far waiting on inspiration to find me. She's notable fickle and ephemeral. Instead, I didn't give myself a choice.

To make pottery, it's as much of a skill as it is conditioning. Wheel-throwing pottery is closer to learning how to ride a bike than, say, painting a mural. You condition your arms, your legs, your fingers, and your eyes to all respond together, there's not a lot of time to linger on the wheel or consider your next brushstroke, lest you risk cracks, tears, or any of the other thousand things that could go wrong in pottery.

Creating something has become something between habit and ritual. A way to honor myself and all those that came before me.

3) You're a member of the Tallahassee Vinyl Club. How does music influence or inspire your work?

Music has been something that I've been embarrassed or shy to share, I've always felt like the odd one out. I listen to music when I create, when I sleep, when I work, so it's always felt like something that I experience alone and now I experience my music out loud with my community and it's a whole different feeling.

Like, do they know that I listened to this song during my highest highs and lowest lows? Did they hear that scratch in the record I've listened to over and over since I was a baby? Can they tell this record has moved with me dozens of times in the trunk of my car from place to place?

Maybe this sounds really pretentious but it's a vulnerable feeling to share something that has always felt like mine.

3.2) You have displayed and sold work under your brand "Punky Pottery". What makes your ceramic work punk or inspired by punk culture?

I live an alternative lifestyle. I don't live within a ton of influence from others so I'm sort of left to make up my mind about things. I'm self-taught, I don't really know what the rules are and I don't really care to learn.

I'm not the type of person who is going to create a set of 4 simply designed mugs and saucers. I don't think I have it in me to create the same thing over and over. I like that to experiment and I'm not scared of texture, layers of glaze, or even creating silly archaic childish illustrations on something that feels reseved for someone more proper or sophisticated.

I feel like the world is on fire and I'm just in my little pocket of the universe drawing pickles on a mug that could last hundreds of years.

4) How many animals do you live with?

I'm currently living my 12 year old girl dream of surrounding myself to the brim with critters in a cottage in the woods. I share my life in the 5-acre woods with a giant Sulcata tortoise named Nigel, 3 pot bellied pigs (Lord Farquaad, Goomba, and Hodor), 3 cats (Jedi, Farnsworth, and Kitten), and a pack of dogs (Val, Amelia, Doobie, Finn, and Germ).

4.2) How does nature and animals inspire you creatively?

I've loved living in nature my whole life. My favorite inspiration is to take things I feel like I know really well (what a dog looks like, what leaves look like, what lizards look like) and try to paint them on a surface. What ends up coming out in the end is usually a goofy, anatomically incorrect version of the object I'm thinking about. It reminds me of like medieval art. It's how I've been developing my style over time and I know it's something I'll never get tired of.

Many thanks to my inspiration and aspiration, Jorrdan Barroso. I’m John Lhotka, wishing you a nice day, and all that jazz.