Episode 50: Tammie Rubin - Everything You Ever

Scott David Gordon — Mon, 03 Dec 2018 07:00:00 -0600

"I think that the thread has definitely been that it’s all sculptural. I’m truly a 3D person. The idea and the making of the work kind of happen at the same time. Or maybe I cant identify exactly what comes first but I feel like I am pushed forward in the studio though making itself. Researching is a part of that but I actually have to have my hands moving."

Tammie Rubin is a ceramic sculptor and professor at St. Edwards University. Since moving to Austin only three years ago she has fully established herself in the local art community. While maintaining a consistent studio practice she also teaches multiple classes, supports many other artists, is a member of ICOSA, and is a Dimension Gallery fellowship artist.

As Tammie stated in the interview she pushes herself in the studio to create work while her ideas coalesce through the act of doing and pushing forward into the unknown. After the work is done she can then more fully formulate concrete language about its meaning. She creates order from the noise and chaos of her thoughts and ends up hopefully with the visual cues in her pieces that communicate her complete thought process.

Previously her artwork utilized more industrial and recognizable readymade objects that she would then transform and reconfigure through her hand into ceramic sculptures. These pieces were often very colorful, textured, and complex. Her latest exhibition, Everything You Ever, on display at Women & Their Work, utilizes ball moss, wire, steel wool, and other elements as the base of the sculptures.

In the interview we cover the process of making the pieces and also her thoughts about the meaning behind the work. We also talk about the ideas she has explored in her pervious work and how she got into sculpture and teaching, including the details of a class on art & activism.

Be sure to visit her website to see all of her beautiful and intriguing work and if in Austin make your way to Women & Their Work before January 10th, 2019 to see her solo exhibition.

Some of the subjects we discuss:

Hometown show
Feedback from artists
A lot going on
Cagematch project
Overall approach
Working with porcelain
College professor/mentor
Art History/Chicago
The power of objects
Context of art
What conversation
Thread of ideas
The contraption
Oregon/single use plastic
Silence/communication
Fathers death/new work
Transmission/reconfiguring
Peoples associations
Ceramic textures
Technical process
Ball moss analogy
Push and pull
Teaching/higher education
Students influence
Art & activism class
Assessing artwork
Project Row Houses
Everything you ever details

Everything You Ever

Tammie Rubin

Sat Nov 17, 2018 - Thu Jan 10, 2019

WOMEN & THEIR WORK
1710 Lavaca St.   Austin, TX
(512) 477-1064
Monday - Friday 10am-6pm
Saturday 12pm - 6pm

The wispy tendrils of the native Texas ball moss serves as a signifier of gathering chaos, conclave connections, concentrated confusion, a labyrinth of values, and growing will. Sculptures are constructed of knots and tangles of twine and rope, embedded with steel wool and cotton, and armatures of wire. These forms are then overwhelmed with porcelain slip, covering, drowning, distorting and obscuring the original. What will be lost? What will remain?

WOMEN & THEIR WORK events:

Objects in Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear

Performance and readings

December 8, 2018, 2pm-4pm

TalkAbout: Everything You Ever

Artist Talk with Tammie at Women & Their Work

January 5, 2019, 11:30am-12:30pm

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Intro music generously provided by Stan Killian

Support this podcast.

Links:

Austin Art Talk - Episodes Tagged with “Tammie Rubin”

Episode 50: Tammie Rubin - Everything You Ever