Meet Mitch LaMar. Functional wheel thrown pottery. Maryville, Missouri.
What inspired you to start making pottery?
I began making pottery in high school. I discovered the medium by accident when I walked into the wrong class one day. It was a complete coincidence. I really gravitated to the art form because I saw myself improving quickly and furthermore, I enjoyed the challenge that working with clay presented.
What values drive you in your day to day business?
I think there are many values that play into my business and how I operate in my day to day life. I place value in being creative. I view creativity not as a trait but rather a vector for communication, one that I have happened to stumble across. Everyone sees the world differently and it’s important that we express that perspective. I’d like to think that we are all creative in different ways, my medium just happens to be pottery.
How did you decide on a visual direction for the brand?
My work focuses on form and functional shapes that allow people to use pots in their day to day life. I like clean lines and crisp edges because they value character and shape. I spent a lot of time learning forms and techniques from my high school ceramics teacher Mr. Robbins and still credit him for most of my inspiration. He showed me the ways of ceramics and I’ll forever be grateful for that.
How do you see your personal lifestyle reflected in the brand you've built?
I don’t see much of my personal lifestyle reflected in the work I make. My artwork is more of an escape from my personal life than anything else. I enjoy zoning out and throwing pots because it allows me to enter a different state of mind, one that isn’t focused on the “real world”.
