10 QUESTIONS WITH JAMES LEMON- What’s the best thing about what you do for a living?
It’s basically an excuse to be a messy, muddy kid.
2. And the worst? Admin is killing me slowly. - What are your favourite pieces to make? My squiggly stuff,
an exploration into gesture and abstract illustration. These
works were born out of the need for more expressive outlets, a
way to spill the movement in my mind into something permanent. - Do you feel pressure to keep up with demand? Yeah, but I
think that’s healthy. It’s important to keep up stock flow, work
hard and get sh*t done, but I try to avoid burnout. - What’s your home like? I like it filled with art and design.
If you can imagine the Brutalist architecture of the Heide [Museum
of Modern Art] but slammed into an op-shop, you’ve got me. - You’re from New Zealand. What drew you to Melbourne? I love
its art and design community. I need people to bounce ideas off
and to laugh and to feel stress with. One focus this year has
been collaborating with other artists and designers. - What music do you listen to in the studio? I listen to a lot
of podcasts mainly, but Lauryn Hill, Solange and Beyoncé radios
on Spotify always go down a treat. - What advice would you give wannabe ceramicists? Work for free
in a studio. You learn more from doing it than from a course. - What makes you happiest? My close friends, my dog and a
well-timed bottle of wine. - What’s next? Giving myself time to relax and enjoy making
again — I don’t want to be caught in trends, because they are
a perpetual vortex of uncertainty and angst. R
Pots, plants and pup James and
pooch Beatrix relax in the dining room of
their share house, which is a beguiling jungle
of plants and earthy ceramics. Clay time
An array of his pieces (below), including his
“squiggly stuff” and Bump range, which
James makes by throwing the clay off centre
for those twists and turns.The wheel thing
James gets to the
studio at around 6am
and starts throwing for
the day. He spends
the last part of the day
making less functional
pieces. “It’s a fun
reward,” he says.JAMES’S WORK CAN BE FOUND VIA HIS WEBSITE, JAMES-LEMON.COM. THERE YOU CAN SHOP FOR CERAMICS AND BOOK INTO HIS WORKSHOPS.
HIS PIECES ARE ALSO AVAILABLE IN SELECT STORES IN NSW, VIC AND THE ACT. INSTAGRAM @JAMESLEMONat WOR K
@reallivingmag
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