On 9/19/2010 10:36 AM, Adam Mankoski of HawkMan Studios interviews Palul

    PALUL REPLIES – 9/19/2010

First, give me some general info about you: what you do when you're not creating, how long you've been in the North State, how you got here in the first place, etc ...

I am never not creating.  It's a way of life.  I see everything as a form of creating.  Our senses pick up on what's happening around us and our mind responds by creating our perception of the universe.  You could say man is creation in action.

I arrived in Redding in the summer of 1969.  My route was from a small town in Massachusetts called Easton.  I went to college in Maine and Rhode Island.  Then I hit the road for seven years:   from New England to New York, Hawaii, Berkley, a VW bus, Pyramid Lake, NV, Mexico, Boston again, across Canada, San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury, Hawaii again, Sacramento, Redding, Montgomery Creek, Redding.

Congratulations on 40 years in clay.  If you can only pick one, what is your best memory from the last 40 years?

Completing the Pyramids at the McConnell Arboretum and Gardens is one of my most gratifying ceramic memories.  The head, the hand, and the heart came together to leave a lasting piece of art for our community.

What was your favorite artistic period or style?
The Sung Dynasty (960-1279) in China provided one of the highest ceramic benchmarks ever.  They captured a sense of freedom and unity of the basic components of clay art…. Their forms were flowing and graceful, working techniques, decorations, glazes, firing processes, and aesthetics were all combined in a high standard of excellence.  When I first got into clay I looked at a lot of ceramic art and shortly, and without hesitation, I decided I wanted to make pots like those of the Sung Dynasty.  I still feel that way today.

What was the first thing you remember creating in clay?

I sculpted a bird the size of a sparrow out of some dark-brown riverbank clay.  I left it in the sun and it cracked into pieces as it dried.  I was 10 then.  It was 20 years later before I found myself working in clay again.

Were there any moments when you cheated on clay, with another medium?
I confess, since my marriage to clay, I have had occasional promiscuous relations with watercolors and acrylics, photography and writing, woodworking and gardening.  (Fortunately clay is a forgiving lover!)

How does your recent work differ from your early work?
My early work was functional and quite simple.  There is a lot of work from the seventies that illustrates basic design concepts mixed with my attempts to duplicate the Sung pots.  (If there is anybody out there with some of my old 70’s work I would like to connect with you.  Call or email me.)   I have been through several styles during my ceramic career as will be seen at the Red Bluff Art Gallery this October.  My recent work is more colorful and deals with universal ideas.

Tell us about your show at the Red Bluff Art Gallery.

This is a retrospective show of 40 years in clay.  There are over 60 pieces representing all periods of my career.  There are big and small functional pieces, some large raku-fired torsos, wall-hanging pieces, standing sculptures, mixed media pieces, large plates, fused clay and glass, and, of course, a few sample pyramids.  The pieces range in size from a few inches to over 50 inches.  If you are at all interested in clay art, I hope you will find this show to be an inspiration as well as a pleasure.  The exhibit runs from October 1^st to October 29^th 

What's next for Palul?

I will be seventy in November.  Art is the fountain of youth.  Why would I ever want to stop drinking? 

I hope to see you all for the October 1^st reception (5-8pm) at the Red Bluff Art Gallery.

-Palul

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