Art & Life with RJ Sturgess

Today we’d like to introduce you to RJ Sturgess.

RJ, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
The fact that I found my way into art is kind of against the odds. I’m from a very small town in upstate New York called Mayfield. it’s a very rural community nestled in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains. Art was not very high up on the priority list in this area, on opening day of turkey season school attendance would drop roughly 75%. However, despite this, my high school art teacher Mr. Kent was always willing to listen and allowed me to come in after school or during my study halls to work or talk. During high school my parents were going through a messy divorce and shortly after my mother found herself in an abusive relationship. I found myself in the middle of a lot of fighting, and a lot of violence. Art became my chance to get away from everything going on at home a chance to get lost in something other than violence.

I decided to start my college coursework at the local community college, Fulton Montgomery Community College. I then transferred to Buffalo State College in Buffalo, NY where I began my focus in ceramics. Buffalo is a unique place, undergoing a sort of renaissance, cultivating a hot bed of creativity and culture. The community fostered under Bob Wood in the ceramics studio helped to shape the artist and person that I am today. Also, I met my amazing and beautiful wife in that studio, so I may be slightly biased. After graduating from Buffalo, I moved back home and continued my studio practice, while working in a warehouse as a means of earning a living. I came to Atlanta in the summer of 2017 after being accepted into the MFA program at Georgia State and I’ve come to love this town, there’s always something going on in the art world, and the winters are much nicer than upstate NY.

Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I make small scale biomorphic forms that tempt the viewer in with an illustrative aesthetic, only to be repulsed by details such as hair, orifice, or teeth. I work mostly with porcelain, and use “non-traditional” surface techniques, instead of applying glaze to the ceramic surface I mostly use watercolor which naturally soaks into the clay creating a complex surface design. My work echoes my feelings towards genetic modification, creating an uneasy feeling in the viewer to reflect the discomfort I feel about this technology. I want viewers to have a sense of wonder accompanied with a sense of discomfort. I work with porcelain because I enjoy the parallels between the science involved with the discovery of this material and scientific influences in my work.

What would you recommend to an artist new to the city, or to art, in terms of meeting and connecting with other artists and creatives?
Being an artist can indeed be lonely at times, however with social media it doesn’t have to be. there are plenty of great groups on Facebook and accounts you can follow on Instagram that allow for discussion of art and alert you to other social events happening around you. Outside of social media there are always plenty of art openings and receptions happening, especially in Atlanta. If you want to stay specifically in the ceramics field then places like Mudworks in Decatur are doing an amazing job at fostering an approachable, helpful, and critical atmosphere.

What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
my website is www.RJSturgess.com although for peeks at my process and the newest work, my Instagram account is best. you can follow me at @Rsturge25

Contact Info:

• Website: www.RJSturgess.com
• Email: rjsturgessdesign@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rsturge25
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rsturgess2

Image Credit:
RJ Sturgess

Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.