Joshua Primmer

          Sculptural and Functional Stoneware

 Biography, Resume, and Artist's Statement

 Biography

 

   In the past year, Joshua has focused his efforts on 

experimenting with different stoneware and porcelain bodies. He 

has been excited by some new minimalist designs for drinking and 

pouring vessels. He is also experimenting with incorporating his 

work into living spaces and exploring a more politically overt

series of sculpture.

   Joshua has been searching for two clay bodies that would 

better suit his building process. Cutting and joining clay at the

leather hard state, as he does, is inherently prone to cracking. 

He is hoping to discover a porcelain body that will stand up to 

this process, but also possess some translucency.

   Joshua has been experimenting with designing work for use in 

architectural spaces, from wall mounted art work, to flower 

and light sconces. He is in the design phase of building sinks as

well. Incorporating hardware has been particularly 

challenging.

   Always passionate about the national and world state of 

affairs, Joshua has been artistically inspired to comment on 

the ridiculous trend in current events. Hard times are good for 

artistic expression.

   Joshua lives in downtown Bennington, Vermont with his wife

Rebecca, their son Miles, and their two cats Ooba and Rodney. 

Joshua received his BFA from Maine College of Art in 2001. His 

work can be seen in Burlington, Vermont at the Frog Hollow 

Gallery, in Williamstown, Massachusetts at Tunnel City Coffee 

Roasters, in North Adams, Massachusetts at North Adams 

Artists' Co-Operative, and on the World Wide Web at 

www.joshuaprimmer.com.

Artist's Statement

  My work is a culmination of surfaces, forms, and ideas that I use to

evoke peace, monumentality, and beauty in the viewer and the user.

These forms are significantly impacted by function and process, 

which is strongly evident in each final design. Also apparent in my 

work are hints of my inspirational sources.

   The mediums I work with are cone 10 stoneware and porcelain fired 

in a reduction atmosphere. I fire in reduction to cone 10 because of 

the depth and richness of surface that can be achieved at higher 

oxygen starved temperatures. High fire reduction also has a 

“weathering” effect on the glazes and clay body. The power of the 

flame can be felt in my finished work, yet I still retain some control 

over the firing results. Before firing, my process is wheel based. I 

begin with a concrete idea: a sketch or series of sketches. I throw all 

the necessary elements on the wheel and, when needed, pull handles

and spouts. When all the pieces are equally leather hard I cut and 

join them to create each composition. When the form is completely 

and carefully dried I bisque fire my work to cone 07 and then glaze 

the bisque ware using brushes, pouring, and dipping.

   The origins of my forms come directly from the wheel throwing 

process. I suspend the motion of the wheel, cut, and then collage 

together these forms in a manner that makes sense to me. From simple 

disk forms made by joining two bowls lip to lip, to more complicated

pieces involving multiple disks and cylinders. I am constantly looking 

back to past works through fresh eyes for new inspiration. Each pot 

is unique, but when viewed as a body of work, the relationships are 

clear.

   In creating art, my goal is to move the viewer and user of my work. I 

intend to evoke peace, monumentality, and beauty. I want my work to 

possess an inspirational presence. I am attempting to mimic the 

emotions imbued by my sources of inspiration. My muses reside in 

nature, old New England mills, and art and I immerse myself in each as 

much as possible. 

   For me, nature represents an ideal: a beautiful tenuous ideal 

threatened by humanity. The juxtaposition of nature and time slowly 

inevitably weathering stark industrial constructs intensifies the 

vulnerability of my ideal through its strength. Despite mankind's 

irrepressible power, nature and time will be the end of us. Yet there is 

hope: If human kind learns to exist in harmony with nature time will 

smile on us both. My work hints at this. In a sense, it is a physical 

manifestation of the fantasy of harmony.

   The artists I am drawn to have harnessed the power of this conflict;

Hans Coper, Lucy Rei, Louis Kahn, Mark Rothco, and Alberto 

Giacometti among others I have yet to discover. All of them create 

beauty and amplify its significance with elements of corrosion and 

decay.

   The mechanical aspect of my process is evident in my forms. Despite 

the relatively small scale of my work it possesses a monumentality 

usually restricted to large-scale work and architecture. These rigid 

machined shapes are enveloped by patinas of colors and textures 

found in nature, oxidized metal, and weathered stone; human industry 

in the embrace of nature.

-JOSHUA PRIMMER

Resume

Education

Maine College of Art, Portland, ME

BFA Spring 2001

major: ceramics, GPA 3.41

Studies included: wheel thrown and hand built ceramics, glaze chemistry, electric,

gas, soda, and raku kiln operation, gas kiln construction, slip casting and mold 

making, small metal and jewelry smithing (including acid etching, raising, casting, 

and sweat soldering), slide photography, ceramic, contemporary Chinese, 

contemporary, and western art history, and wood shop.

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, North Adams, MA

fall 1996 – spring 1998

double major: fine and performing arts with visual art concentration, and 

philosophy

Studies included: wheel thrown and hand built ceramics (teacher’s assistant), oil 

painting, black and white and scientific photography, computer graphics, arts 

management, philosophy, logic, and debate.

Work History

Ceramic Artist, self-employed. April 2006 – Present.

Coffee Roaster, Tunnel City Coffee, North Adams, MA.

January 2004 – Present.

Responsibilities include: roasting coffee, roaster maintenance, coffee tasting, 

and choosing varieties for use.

House Painter, self-employed, May 2003 – Present.

Responsibilities Included: Interior and exterior house painting, surface

preparation, dry wall installation and repair, light carpentry, estimating, and 

billing.

Production Potter, Salmon Falls Stoneware, Dover, NH.

September 2002 – May 2003.

Responsibilities included: throwing, handle attachment, trimming, operation of 

ram presses and jiggers, and pugging clay.

Production Potter, Georgetown Pottery, Georgetown, ME.

January 2001 – May 2001.

Responsibilities included: trimming, glazing, jiggering, loading and unloading 

kilns, fabrication and attachment of handles.

Awards

Honorable Mention, Memphis/Germantown Art Legue National Exhibition, 2009,

   Germantown Performing Art Center, Germantown, TN.

Honorable Mention, Merit Scholarship Competition, Spring 2000.

Dean’s List, Spring 1997-Fall 2000, excluding Spring 1999.

Exhibitions

"Tracks," 2009, North Adams Artists' Co-Op Gallery, North Adams, MA.

"Out of the Box," 2009, North Adams Artists' Co-Op Gallery, North Adams, MA.

"Elements," 2009, North Adams Artists' Co-Op Gallery, North Adams, MA.

"La Mesa,"2009,  North Adams Artists' Co-Op Gallery, North Adams, MA.

"Uptown Arts," 2009, North Adams Artists' Co-Op Gallery, North Adams, MA.

"Open Studio Weekend," 2009, Vermont Crafts Council, VT.

"Memphis/Germantown Art League National Exhibition," 2009, Germantown

    Performing Art Center, Germantown, TN.

"Regional Arts Program 5th annual Benefit Sale," 2009, Bennington Museum, 

    Bennington, VT.

"One Hundred for $100 Art Exhibition and Sale, Better  Bennington Corporation,

    2009, Bennington, VT.

"Functional Ceramics," 2008, Bennington Arts Guild, Bennington, VT.

"New  Works Show," 2008, Bennington Arts Guild, Bennington, VT.

“78^th Annual Members’ Exhibition,” 2007, Southern Vermont Arts Center, 

    Manchester, VT.

“Joshua Primmer, Recent Works,” 2007, Bennington Museum, Bennington, VT.

“Raise a Cup for Art,” 2007, Shelburne Art Center, Shelburne, VT.

“Senior Thesis Exhibition,” 2001, Institute of Contemporary Art, Portland, ME.

“The Next Generation II,” 2001, Center for Maine Contemporary Artists, Rockport, 

    ME

“Clay…Form and Fire,” 2000, Montgomery Memorial Gallery, Portland, ME.

“Merit Scholarship Show,” 1999, Institute of Contemporary Art, Portland, ME

“Merit Scholarship Competition,” 1999 & 2000, Maine College of Art, Portland, ME.

*Up coming exhibition.

Publications

“Kaleidoscope,” 1997 (cover) & 1998, Art and literary magazine of Massachusetts 

    College of Liberal Arts, North Adams, MA.

“Mob,” 1996, Art and literary magazine, Bennington, VT.

Workshops and Visiting Artists

Mark Leutold, 2009, "hand Building Sculptural Forms," North Country Studio 

    Workshops, Bennington College, Bennington, VT.

Nick Joerling, 2007, Demonstration of process and slide presentation, 

    Frog Hollow Vermont State Craft Center, Middlebury, VT

“Evolving Legacies,” 2001, 35^th annual conference of the National Council on 

    Education for Ceramic Arts, Charlotte, NC.

Bruce Chao, 2001, Discussion, lecture, and slide presentation of work 

    (glass sculpture), Maine College of Art, Portland, ME.

Abby Huntoon, 2000, Surface decoration demonstration, Maine College of Art.

Mark Johnson, 1999, Interactive kiln building demonstration, Maine College of Art.

Watershed, 1999, Discussion, lecture, and slide presentation of resident artists’ 

    work, Maine College of Art.

Gary Ericson, 1999, Discussion, lecture, and slide presentation of work, Maine 

    College of Art.

Paul Heroux, 1998, Discussion, lecture, and slide presentation of work, Maine 

    College of Art.

Steve Welch, 1998, Discussion, lecture, and slide presentation of work, Maine 

    College of Art.

    College of Liberal Arts

Work Represented By...

Frog Hollow Vermont State Craft Center, 2007-2009, Burlington, VT.

Tunnel City Coffee Roasters, 2007-2009, Williamstown, MA.

North Adams Artists' Co-Operative, as of June 24th, 2009, North Adams, MA.

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