Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Phillips.
Jessica, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Growing up, I had a lot of opportunities to be creative. My Mom is a photographer so we had a darkroom in our house and my Dad is an engineer and always had multiple projects underway in his workshop. We lived in a rural area of upstate New York, so I also spent a lot of time wandering around in the woods and fields near our home.
As a young child, I was always building things or drawing and painting but, for some reason, I was especially drawn to clay. I didn’t have access to many art classes so I would shape things out of the mud on the banks of a creek near our house. The rain would wash it all away and I would start over.
When I was 12, we moved to Houston and I continued and expanded my creative endeavors: photography, painting, sewing, music and jewelry making. I also developed an interest in graphic design. I had always loved paper, stationery and bookmaking. Honestly, one of the hardest things for me has always been limiting myself or trying to focus on a single thing. I have so many varied interests that I tend to spread myself a little thin. However, when I arrived at UT Austin I finally had a chance to take a ceramics class and I was hooked. It became one of my favorite mediums. After graduating with a BA in Studio Art, I pursued a career as a graphic designer. It seemed like the most obvious path to a creative lifestyle that still allowed me to pay my bills. Turns out it was a great choice for me. It gave me so many opportunities to integrate my other interests, like printmaking and photography, while still providing time outside of work for my ceramics. Also, when I had children, it allowed me to transition to a freelance lifestyle so I could keep working but still spend time with them.
I had always thought of my design work as very separate from my ceramic work, but have discovered that the opposite is true. All these years of practicing graphic design have actually changed and influenced my ceramics. The clay is this soft, amorphous material, so full of ambiguity and possibility, and graphic design has, in my mind, rigid confines and structures – rules you should adhere to. When the rigidity of the design work meets the fluidity of the clay I find that really interesting ideas and contrasts can emerge. Things that I wouldn’t have originally thought to try become possible.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I’m an inherently optimistic person. Even when things are hard I try to see the bright side or figure out what I will learn from an adverse experience. And I try to remind myself every single day how lucky I am. One of the things that give me courage and comfort is the love and support of my family. They’ve always got my back and I never take it for granted. Sometimes, time management is really difficult. I have four children and the logistics are crazy! Finding the time to do everything can be a challenge. I do think that exhibiting my love and passion for art has ultimately made me a better parent though. It’s a therapeutic outlet for me, sure, but it also demonstrates for my children how rewarding it can be to find something you love and to pursue it in a meaningful way.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with They Named Her John – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Most of the work I sell is functional ceramics but I also love working on sculptural and conceptual art pieces. It’s just me working in my studio so I create work in small batches. One of the things I love about the way I work is that I have the freedom and flexibility to explore new ideas and experiment. I create a few of my more popular pieces in larger quantities but many of my pieces are one-of-a-kind. I also have an antique letterpress and sell some of my prints and stationery.
Over the years, even when I was working as a full-time graphic designer, I always found a way to keep working with clay. A small set-up in my garage or basement, a class here or there when I didn’t have the space for my wheel and kiln. But a few years ago, things shifted. My kids were a little older and gaining independence so I had more free time. I started focusing on my art and putting it out there in exhibitions and boutiques. Also, I had the opportunity to build a home studio that’s fully functional. I felt like I could finally embrace the ideas that had been bouncing around in my head for so many years and pursue ceramics and printmaking professionally.
At the time, I also had a conversation with my Dad that really resonated with me. He told me more about my grandmother, his mother. Her name was John. She was named after her father who had passed away only months before she was born. She was always a little bit different. She was incredibly artistic, but also ambitious. She was raised in a time and place that set expectations about who she should be, but she didn’t always agree with those expectations and she took chances. She moved to New York City from rural North Carolina and pursued a degree in fashion design. Early in her career, a few things happened that changed the course her life would take. She had to make some tough choices and she never did get to fully pursue the things she had been passionate about. I think I felt some echoes of her life in mine. But, I also saw that I had opportunities that she hadn’t had. And I realized I shouldn’t squander them. Her story and the choices she had to make inspired me to embrace the opportunities that I have been given. I named my company “They Named Her John” in honor of her and the way she has inspired me. She was a complicated woman but I admire the strength she showed in her life.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I always have a sketchbook full of new designs and ideas that I’m excited to work on so there’s never a dull moment here. I’m also working on streamlining my production process so I can increase my output. But, to be honest, I’m most excited right now about a new body of work I’m creating that’s intended for a solo exhibition. It’s a cohesive series of ceramic vessels that utilize graphic abstractions to talk about the theme of human relationships and communication. Something that explores the complicated nature of how people interact with one another, the things we hold within us and the things we choose to share.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.theynamedherjohn.com
- Instagram: @they_named_her_john
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/theynamedherjohn
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