Interview with Justin Novak


How important is the material for you?

I think one's choice of media implicitly communicates a great deal, so
the question of material is a very important one to me.
I have always done a lot of drawing, and clay seemed to offer the
ability to work just as spontaneously in three dimensions. Though I
first started working with clay because of its physical properties, I
now find myself more attracted because of the medium's cultural
implications. Lately, I am finding the potential of digital arts
fascinating, but I've only just begun to explore those possibilities in
my art practice.

Where do you get your inspirations?

For years I was inspired most by Baroque sculpture and Rococo figurines,
but my recent work is more influenced by vinyl collectible culture...
Jamie Hewlitt's 'Gorillaz' vinyl figurines, the 'Tinpo' figures by
Unklbrand, Gloomy Bear by Chax, etc., etc.
I adore the aesthetic qualites of those streamlined characters, and
that's influencing my newest work a great deal.

The best thing at porcelain?

I am most attracted by the possibilities of mass-production that
porcelain slip-casting offers. Working with multiples offers the
potential to communicate on a broader scale, and it allows for projects
with a more collaborative, communal spirit. This aspect of porcelain
has influenced my teaching as much as it has informed my work.

Tero