Ethan Caflisch
“i do treat my studio like a living/breathing piece itself and the environment that’s there is often the most useful guide. it’s kind of like being in the ocean, sometimes you’re in the wave and sometimes it pummels the shit out of you; either way it’s fun.”
Interview by Richard Starbuck
Could you tell us a bit about yourself and your background? Where did you study?
I like starting by saying 'my last name is pronounced (cuh) (fleesh), pretend you’re sneezing.’ I currently live and work in London, England.
I studied at California College of the arts, where I got an individualized degree; I pretty much tailored my education to encompass wood, metal, and clay sculpture, painting, film, interior design, and architecture - setting myself up for a diverse studio practice, funded by art direction for film. fortunately, now, my studio supports itself but it was a transition of allocating funds from one to the other for a couple of years post-graduation.
Taking it back a bit. I was born, 1993, and raised in Oshkosh, Wisconsin - just north of Chicago.
How personal should I get? early days, at school, I was accelerated into math, art, and sports. the trifecta, ha! then, when thinking about university, was debating between going to med. school to be a surgeon or art school for ceramics; which that split is still kind of how my studio feels. obviously, decided to go to art school and pursue ceramics and community arts because my pragmatic self wanted to get a teaching degree that came with the community arts degree. California College of the arts foundation is the Bauhaus, and so the first year we all dipped our toe into everything, which is when I realized that was interesting in working in everything; so I pulled out of my initial plan and applied to the individualized program - by far the best decision I made.
long story short, my education looked like this - splitting my classes between Oakland (fine art) and San Francisco (design), with my studio in the ceramics building (where I also was employed making glazes, fixing kilns, etc…) - where I was painting and making sculpture with other materials; this mix of having a solid foundation and branching off to fold in other materials and process started here and is still the primary focus of my studio in London. multifacetedness is the key.
Your work is quite varied, using paint, material, objects and imagery, could you tell us about this and the thoughts behind the materials you use? Do you feel by using other mediums it makes you look at your work differently?
Yeah, it was, and maybe still is, a struggle to come to terms with the variance; obviously, most artists are easily-identifiable specialist painters, sculptors, photographers, performers, etc... I just call myself an artist and use the material or process that the work needs to be made in. I think I’ve gotten over the pressure of making work that obviously looks like your work, which is probably the scariest thing for an artist but also the most freeing; it’s serious pressure.
the materials I use, often, are the foundation of the piece itself. the process also has a huge influence on what my work looks like, I don’t like coverups or making something look it’s not itself; honesty in process and materials is super important for me and the work - my heart and hand is always visible.
I’m not sure if different mediums make me look at the work differently, but it does create a spark of inspiration that keeps me going. my practice at-large takes constant baby steps and occasional euro-steps. the piece I just finished relates to the one before it and the one I’m about to start; I’m constantly pulling pieces from the pieces and wondering ‘what can I use from this, on that?’ i don’t mean to contradict myself in that I’m making something look like something else, but I’m taking concepts, forms, and ideas from one and folding it into the other. sometimes i use the artist statement a(b) + b(a) = ab to explain that relationship.
maybe it helps to also say that I work in a series-based fashion, and as of now none of the series have ended (ok, maybe one has), and they all crop up on occasion - when they need to.
Cogntive Threshold Theory I, 2020
Dying for a while (film still I), 2020
In Black and Green II, 2020
You mention that "perfection is only achieved when I move away from the conscious pursuit of perfection." Could you talk more about this?
Yeah, I’m glad you caught that - that’s a super important processual idea in the studio.
I think it goes back to my interest in relationships and ultimately acceptance. I never want to work against myself or what I’m working with, I kind of hate when artists talk about 'collaborating with materials' but that’s kind of what it is. I like the relationship of making jigs and guides and measuring to near perfection, and then going in by hand to make the final cut. or using the span of my thumb and pinky as a theoretical perfect measuring tool, but actually not that close. it’s setting myself up for the perfect attempt, and realizing that the end result doesn’t really matter because 1. those microscopic things we dwell over usually aren’t noticed and 2. the human hand is actually way more beautiful than the machine-made object.
what I’m really talking about happened yesterday in my residency studio at pada - I had made two guides 1. to make a pencil-line border within the canvas and 2. to transfer a drawing I did onto the canvas. everything is measured and prepared perfectly, until I apply my hand to it - as I’m applying the pencil line or paint via brush my literal heartbreak is shaking my hand ever so slightly which is effecting the line that was meticulously prepared. the acceptance of the things that are ultimately out of my control and working with them almost always make the work better than replicating the initial thought; being able to adapt and accept to make a finished piece is that achievement of ‘perfection.'
Would you say that this is the main drive in your work?
No, there are so many things that drive the work, but it definitely is one. I do think you’re onto something though because it's driving the work instead of me driving the work is true - I do treat my studio like a living/breathing piece itself and the environment that’s there is often the most useful guide. it’s kind of like being in the ocean, sometimes you’re in the wave and sometimes it pummels the shit out of you; either way, it’s fun.
Tell us a bit about how you spend your day / studio routine? What is your studio like?
Right now I’m in Portugal at a residency, which is has eliminated the routine I have in London; which is the point. So right now, I’m usually getting to the studio to have coffee and breakfast around 10, catching up on the baseball I missed overnight. Moseying downstairs around 11 and working until 3 or 4, then have lunch. depending on how those studio hours went, I’ll either go to the beach, go back into the studio, or head out into town until dinner which is usually 9ish. then back to the studio until 1 or 2 or 3, which has been the most productive since everyone else has gone to bed and I don’t have the distractions of other people or feeling watched.
Back home, it feels much more business-like. I’ve been biking the couple-mile trek every day, getting there by 10, and getting home by 8 for dinner and a movie. The regimentation is good in some ways and bad in others, like everything. Ha!
Could you tell us about how you have coped during the COVID-19 Pandemic? In what way has lockdown affected your work and productivity?
Oh man, the first 6 weeks were really productive for me. my inbox slowed down, which I think was the clarifier for me. The second 6 weeks I hit a wall, when George Floyd was murdered it really pulled me back into the serious reality and it was really hard to think about anything else. I found a bit more of a groove again in July, mostly wrapping things up and tinkering with some ideas I knew I wanted to explore when I came to pada in early august. so, honestly, the time at this residency is probably the most productive I’ve been since May - which is crazy to think about, but completely necessary.
In regards to work and productivity - I think what has helped and procured from all the major issues the world is facing is patience, understanding, listening to others and my true self, and taking more conscious action.
Also, the healthiest thing I’ve started doing is limiting my news consumption to coffee and wine, instead of every time I look at my phone or computer. Also, activating screentime on my phone to be aware of and push my general digital consumption time to a minimum.
Once, every four weeks, 2017
Untitled (buoys), 2020
You can not capture light, ribbon in their hair, 2020
What artwork have you seen recently that has resonated with you?
Not really an artwork, but I just picked up a book of a 2006 show at Serralves called hkps: images in painting. it struck a chord with me as I’m slowly introducing the figure into my work and all four artists (Eberhard Havekost, Johannes Kahrs, Magnus Plessen, and Wilhelm Sasnal) and just a general sense environment. Rarely are there group shows where every artist hits your equally as hard, and this one did for me. The accompanying interview is interesting as well.
Is there anything new and exciting in the pipeline you would like to tell us about?
Maybe this happens to everyone 5 years out from school, but I’m most excited about the fear I’ve lost from making and showing work. Maybe it comes from confidence and maybe it comes from caring about perception; either way, that dropped guard is paving the way for some exciting and different work for me. Really leaning into the diversity or variation you asked about earlier.
I’ve going to do the turps off-site program this fall as well, which I’ve only gotten more and more excited about as I’ve met others who have gone through the program - I only hear great things.
I’m excited about traveling less and more diligently, making more work, being more thoughtful, and planning for the future.
All images are courtesy of the artist
Date of publication: 02/09/20
