As a trainee for a potter, what Alex Mattis discovered shaped her like a clay. “When I went inside, I knew that this is what I was going to do,” he said. “We were told that the pot has skin and bones and skeletons and, eg, a plate should have the fullness of the moon.”
Artistic details, the way a painter can define his craft. In fact it was Henry Mattis who once said, “I really don’t portray that table, but this feeling creates me.”
When Alex established the East Fork Pottery in Ashville, Northern Carolina in 2009, she took the same scene. He saw ceramic as a canvas. It came easily, as it was woven into her DNA – because it WasAlex artist Henry is the great-granddaughter of Mattis.
CBS News
I asked, “What did you know about your great -grandfather when you were growing up?”
Alex said, “He was everywhere, in the air, which we breathed, around the house, on the walls,” Alex replied.
It was a famous last name that he had run away for years. “I had a very angry relationship with it,” he laughed. “It was such a shadow thing that chased around me that I wanted to move.”
Perhaps it was stubborn, or proud, but Alex was firm to make its way. He assured Koni, his soon -to -his wife Koni, to help in making a wooden kiln in an old tobacco field.
I asked, “Did he have the same passion for it?”
“No, he was not a passion for the soil,” Alex said.
“But she had a passion for you, so she was leaving?”
“Yes. She stuck all around,” she laughed.
And without knowing anyone who was really, his business jumped. He could hardly keep with demand. He felt, “If we are going to play in this world, there will be some changes. Like, we cannot do it as we did.”
CBS News
Therefore, he decided to at least partially mechanization. Pottery still had her, only he thought better, especially color. he was excited. “And we sent a postcard of these new vessels, which you see, you know, they were plain, they were colors on them,” he said. “And no one showed it. So overnight, we lost almost each of our customers. Like, we thought we had lost our mind.”
And yet, he still refused to fall back to Mattis, and it was discovered that Vishwas himself paid.
Today, he has veterans of fans who call themselves “Potheds”. They buy, share and trade East Fork Dinnerware online. On the secondary marketSome of his early pieces can go to thousands of dollars.
And so, firmly installed with the East Fork, about 18 months ago Alex decided that it was time to use its name. He with his sister and brother, did hundreds of work by his great -grandfather, which could be a pottery perfect.
CBS News
“We wanted something like a blue nude series that would be immediately recognizable,” Alex said. “But then, I wanted something that would talk to me a little more personally.”
Dials were made of chosen tasks, loyal to the exact details of their great -grandfather. Each is carefully applied by hand, and repeatedly inspected by hand.
He says that he is not surprised what his great -grandfather will think about his new collection. “Oh, giz. No.” Alex said, “Because he was very serious. He was focusing a lot on his work. Like, he is what he cared about.”
CBS News
Henry Mattis once famous said, “Creativity takes courage.” His great-grandson Alex Mattis will definitely agree with this. His only warning is that sometimes courage occurs in time.
“There is not a heaviness,” he said. “This is just another layer. It is just another interesting part of my history, my family history. And it looks great to celebrate and share it.”
For more information:
Story created by Kya Lim. Editor: Remington Korer.
See also:
More than CBS News
Lee kovan
