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M.V. And what do you do with your work? Does it sell
at all or is it not particularly work that gets sold in that way?
J.W. It’s not particularly...it’s difficult work to sell. I have sold
some pieces. In fact I sold some pieces this year which was very nice.
It’s in a few collections, you know, but it’s difficult and I haven’t
resolved how on earth you do this, if you make the kind of work you want
to make.
M.V. So do you accumulate or do you let things go?
J.W. Well I live on a farm and I have an old chicken-house full of boxes.
M.V. So in fact you do keep it. It’s there when they want the major
retrospective.
J.W. Well that’s only because I’m in a place where now I have the space
to keep it. Previously I had to chuck stuff away.
M.V. How do you
relate to this idea of craft and hand working?Is that an important value
to you in your work?
J.W. I can appreciate it, but it’s not something I necessarily aim for.
I like to see it in other people’s work. I don’t deliberately set
out to make things badly, but I’m not a craftsperson. In some ways I’m
maybe getting more... but it’s not because I take more care over it. Maybe
I’ve just got more skill now at doing things, but it’s certainly not the
intention behind what I do.
M.V. How do you identify yourself?Do you call yourself an artist,
craftsperson? Which world do you move in?
J.W. Always a sticky one. Actually, sculptor.
M.V. You would normally say, “I’m a sculptor”?
J.W. Yes. Sometimes if people say, you know, “What do you do?”, I’ll
say, “I’m an artist”. If I’m with ceramic people I’ll maybe say, “Ceramic
sculpture”.
M.V. So you move around according to who you’re talking to?
J.W. I think, yes.
M.V. What about technology? I would say there’s a bit of technology
going on here and you’ve talked about fire ? What about technology, do
you think that’s important for you?
J.W. Well, I guess I moved away from a lot
of traditional practices in a way but I mean I do use a computer and I
find I’m beginning to use it more. Quite often now I’ll actually set up
an installation on the computer to play around with how things will fit
in. You know if I’m going to do a show in a gallery and they’ve sent me
the size of the gallery where the windows are and you know I’ve got to
work out how I’m going to lay things out.
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