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An Approach To Good Design | Dan Mark | Episode 1201
Dan Mark | Episode 1201
Dan Mack started working with clay in high school, where he was immediately captivated—maybe from a family history of artists, or from being introduced to clay at a young age by his uncle. That early spark took hold, and Dan spent his school lunches in the pottery studio, teaching himself the craft by watching old videos of Hsin-Chuen Lin, carefully deciphering throwing techniques purely through observation. Dan now works out of his studio in San Francisco, California, using stoneware and reduction firing techniques. Surfaces are often left raw or minimally glazed to highlight the natural character of the clay. This keeps the focus where it began: with an obsession for form and technique, seen in the tension in the walls, the precision of trimming, and the timelessness of his shapes.
SPONSORS
You can help support the show!
GRPotteryForms.com
TortugaTools.com
BuschKraft.shop
Number 1 brand in America for a reason. Skutt.com
For all your ceramic needs go to Georgies.com
Where does good design begin for you? The form, the function, or the feeling? What’s the first decision that really matters?
I would say that it’s the feeling. The final aesthetic is what I am looking to achieve for all of my pieces.
How do you know when a form is working? Are you looking for proportion, balance, tension, that tells you this is right?
I think I all of those things kind of need to work together for me to feel like a form is successful. It needs to have the right balance and tension across the piece. When I step back and really see the finished, final piece, I will know if it’s successful or not. Usually if it’s not I will get rid of it.
How much does restraint play into your making? How do you know what not to add?
Most of my work comes from restraint. So a lot of people ask how I have found my style and I usually tell them my style is based on very strict restraints.
Are you a person who likes to repeat certain forms over time?
Yeah, I repeat a lot of my forms. I will kind of go back and push them in different directions and make them taller or wider. A lot of the shapes you will see in my work are very repetitive.
Does that make you a better maker for those pieces?
Yeah, definitely. Over years of throwing the same shapes, they definitely get thinner and the proportions will get a little bit stronger, I think.
How do you balance your personal taste with usability?
I would say, usually I will design with usability in the back of my mind. For my cups I will just approach them purely aesthetics first. And then I will make maybe 5 to 8 versions of the same cup and then I will just use them. I will use them for a couple of weeks and see which one I am drawn to.
What should a young potter pay attention to in order to create better designs?
I think they should start where I started. Which would be, pick a shape and draw the shape and then don’t quite trying. Repeat throwing that shape until it looks like your drawing. I think there’s so much to learn in that process and so much growth to be had on the wheel.
Book
This Is Marketing by Seth Godin
Contact
danmackstudio.com
Instagram: @danmackstudio
View all episodes
By Show Notes – The Potters CastDan Mark | Episode 1201
Dan Mack started working with clay in high school, where he was immediately captivated—maybe from a family history of artists, or from being introduced to clay at a young age by his uncle. That early spark took hold, and Dan spent his school lunches in the pottery studio, teaching himself the craft by watching old videos of Hsin-Chuen Lin, carefully deciphering throwing techniques purely through observation. Dan now works out of his studio in San Francisco, California, using stoneware and reduction firing techniques. Surfaces are often left raw or minimally glazed to highlight the natural character of the clay. This keeps the focus where it began: with an obsession for form and technique, seen in the tension in the walls, the precision of trimming, and the timelessness of his shapes.
SPONSORS
You can help support the show!
GRPotteryForms.com
TortugaTools.com
BuschKraft.shop
Number 1 brand in America for a reason. Skutt.com
For all your ceramic needs go to Georgies.com
Where does good design begin for you? The form, the function, or the feeling? What’s the first decision that really matters?
I would say that it’s the feeling. The final aesthetic is what I am looking to achieve for all of my pieces.
How do you know when a form is working? Are you looking for proportion, balance, tension, that tells you this is right?
I think I all of those things kind of need to work together for me to feel like a form is successful. It needs to have the right balance and tension across the piece. When I step back and really see the finished, final piece, I will know if it’s successful or not. Usually if it’s not I will get rid of it.
How much does restraint play into your making? How do you know what not to add?
Most of my work comes from restraint. So a lot of people ask how I have found my style and I usually tell them my style is based on very strict restraints.
Are you a person who likes to repeat certain forms over time?
Yeah, I repeat a lot of my forms. I will kind of go back and push them in different directions and make them taller or wider. A lot of the shapes you will see in my work are very repetitive.
Does that make you a better maker for those pieces?
Yeah, definitely. Over years of throwing the same shapes, they definitely get thinner and the proportions will get a little bit stronger, I think.
How do you balance your personal taste with usability?
I would say, usually I will design with usability in the back of my mind. For my cups I will just approach them purely aesthetics first. And then I will make maybe 5 to 8 versions of the same cup and then I will just use them. I will use them for a couple of weeks and see which one I am drawn to.
What should a young potter pay attention to in order to create better designs?
I think they should start where I started. Which would be, pick a shape and draw the shape and then don’t quite trying. Repeat throwing that shape until it looks like your drawing. I think there’s so much to learn in that process and so much growth to be had on the wheel.
Book
This Is Marketing by Seth Godin
Contact
danmackstudio.com
Instagram: @danmackstudio