Although it may seem that the most acclaimed pieces in art history rely on complicated conceptual framework or inaccessibly weighty content, there are still others that delight in the use of vibrant colors, playful compositions, and humorous subjects. And certainly the latter was true of many of the pieces in the Museum of Contemporary Crafts’ "Clayworks: 20 Americans" exhibition, held June 18 – September 12, 1971. From funk artist David Gilhooly’s busts of earthenware frogs in historical regalia to Victor Spinski’s science fiction-inspired installation of large ceramic machinery, the exhibition was as much an exercise in artistic craft as it was an outlet for the artists' daffiest of ideas. 

With each artwork quirkier than the last, the exhibition’s archival materials and accompanying video footage are as rife with enjoyable moments of comic respite as the pieces themselves. As an acknowledgment of these lighter moments, this week we share a smile-provoking interview of then-ceramist Kurt Fishback and ACC interviewer Bob Hanson. Although Fishback is now known for following his father’s footsteps into the field of photography, with his portraits of artists such as Ansel Adams, Judy Chicago, Chuck Close, and Robert Mapplethorpe, in this 1971 film, he appears as an excitable and inspired young ceramic artist keen on producing expansive series of thematically linked sculptural works. 

Phrase-based titles like Home Fronts, Inside Outhouse, Homemade Pie, and Road House, provide the basis for Fishback’s creations, which evoke both the whimsical innocence of Dr. Seuss’ haphazard illustrations and recall messy sculptures like Claes Oldenburg’s Two Cheeseburgers, with Everything (Dual Hamburgers) of 1962. That is to say, while Fishback’s wonky planes and playful hues deserve a passing giggle, they offer a challenge as well. The innate comfort of home is destabilized by the comedic. That which is familiar is made foreign; that which is common is made unusual. 

If you're asking Fishback, a house may be a home, but a home is also a coat, a pie, and a topsy-turvy bathroom. Home is where you hang your hat. Home is where the heart is, and home is where the art is.

Taylor Rose recently received her BA in art history from the University of Minnesota, and will soon be pursuing graduate work at the Sotheby’s Institute of Art in New York City. This summer she’s a 2016 Windgate museum intern working with ACC Library staff to digitize and edit audio, video, and film footage from the ACC archives.