Nolan Ceramics
Andrew Nolan
Graduate Student
Fort Hays State University
Hays, Kansas 67601
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Artist Biography
In the northwest corner of Kansas Andrew Nolan’s family has owned and run a small farm and ranch twenty miles from the nearest town St. Francis, for four generations. After graduating from high school. He attended Colby Community College in Colby Kansas to earn his associates degree in art. Leaving with his associate’s degree He attended Fort Hays State University in Hays Kansas. It was at FHSU where Andrew found that his interests were heading toward ceramics. This is also where he met Jennifer, who became his wife. Andrew received his BFA in Art: ceramic studio in 2001.
They moved to Lubbock Texas to work on a MFA in ceramic studio at Texas Tech University. After finishing the first year in this program, They were accepted into the MFA program at Fort Hays State University returned to Hays to finish up their degrees.
They have traveled much of the United States, though Germany, France, Italy, and soon China for both recreation and professional development.
Andrew is a member of NCECA, National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts, KECA, Kansas Artist and Craftsman Association, Creative Arts Society, at Fort Hays State University and belongs to A.F. & A.M. of Kansas.
Artistic Philosophy
I am a ceramic artist – primarily a potter working mostly on the wheel, I throw functional and decorative ware that is had altered and slip embellished. The white stoneware clay body that I use is then fired in a gas reduction atmosphere to cone 10, with Shino based glazes. Utilizing hand building techniques as well, with cone 04 red earthenware clay body, I construct abstracted plant bulbs, seedpods that I use low fire stains on.
All of my work is inspired by nature, plants and land formations. Drawing on my farming background and observations of nature I have developed a visual vocabulary of textures, that I apply to pots forming imagery of the fallow field, tree bark, as well as spines, leaves and petals from tree and plant fruits and nuts. I use the shapes and colors of those textures to visually express my interest, respect and affinity to the land I were raised on.