Pottery of Protest 6 Judge Emilie Bouvet-Boisclair
Article by Mieke Zuiderweg, Images provided by Emilie Bouvet-Boisclair
Emilie Bouvet-Boisclair (Guelph, Ontario, Canada) grew up in nature-filled Ithaca, New York State and Bethesda, Maryland. She spent many summer days on her grandparent’s small farm in Mont-Saint-Gregoire in the Quebec province. Her days there were filled with exploring nature, watching birds as well as dairy cows. Her mother, who had grown up on the farm and connected strongly with the animals, decided to become a vegetarian as soon as she left home. She imparted her values onto her children, and Bouvet-Boisclair has kept a similar lifestyle since she was young. The artist felt even more strongly about vegetarianism after she became old enough to learn about factory farming and its unsustainable nature. The destruction of the environment on top of the treatment of animals cemented her commitment.
Emilie Bouvet-Boisclair at work on one of her larger coil-built vessels
Bouvet-Boisclair attended the State University of New York, Geneseo, for sociology (graduated 2006). She ended up with so many extra painting and art classes that she majored in figure studies with a concentration in watercolors. After her education, Bouvet-Boisclair needed to move to a big city to give her work more traction. She felt that Chicago was an affordable place with the infrastructure to support a strong art scene. She dedicated her time to creating work on canvas and showing and selling around the city. Ultimately the cost of showing 2D work made her shift focus to ceramics. Bouvet-Boisclair had fond memories of learning wheel throwing in her teen years. The process had a profound affect on her, so getting back into the medium was not difficult. Throwing on the wheel provides a meditative state for her, and seeing the sheer amount of objects she could create in one day gives her a deep sense of achievement. A surprise gift certificate for LSPS-LC classes from her partner Ben set her on a productive path. The artist really got to see the inner workings of the studio; she was the volunteer that mixed glazes, loaded kilns and kept the place in good working order for more than a year.
Collage and watercolor paintings by the artist
After a few wonderfully prolific and creatively explorative years at LSPS-LC, Bouvet-Boisclair decided to take the plunge and share a private studio space with three other potters. For nearly three years, she worked on the 4th floor of an old industrial building in Albany Park, Chicago. The time there helped her focus and grow her business. She was able to establish a sense of community as well as be inspired by work created around her. Bouvet-Boisclair kept up-to-date on shows around the city, including Art EXPO and SOFA. The modern work didn’t inspire her as much as the artists she loved while growing up. Surrealism has always been part of her creative soul; Salvador Dali, Giorgio de Chirico as well as Georgia O’Keeffe (realism and abstraction).
Bouvet-Boisclair accompanied her mother on the craft fair circuit on the East Coast over the years. She saw first hand the amount of work it took to travel, set up and sell original artwork. She swore she would never do the same. To her chagrin, found herself dragging heavy tents, tables and boxes of her ceramics years later. Renegade, Show of Hands, Sauced Night Market and Glenwood Ave Arts Fest all helped her work gain traction and attention. She used the contacts she gained from these events and rolled them into her social media traffic. Bouvet-Boisclair considers herself lucky to have gotten her e-commerce website together before the pandemic set in. She hit the ground running and didn’t have to scramble to set one up when all the artisan markets were cancelled.
A few examples of Bouvet-Boisclair’s animal-inspired pieces
Bouvet-Boisclair took a big step and moved away from her Chicago pottery community at the very start of the pandemic in 2020. The artist and her husband were looking to own a home with room to expand their family, as well as include a creative space. The garage turned out to be a great spot to set up a second-hand kiln, wheel and an ever evolving selection of tools and glazes. Bouvet-Boisclair got to work quickly, producing the mugs and wine tumblers her collectors love to purchase. Having the studio a few steps from her living space has proven invaluable, especially after her son was born in 2021. Between having a babysitter two afternoons a week and her husband caring for their child as well, she’s been able to keep her pottery practice alive. She hopes to be able to offer classes to local ceramics-enthusiasts after her schedule is less filled. This past Fall, Bouvet-Boisclair took the plunge and put nose to grindstone to create new stock. The pieces were for her first art festival in over three years. Between the exhausting production work, a sleep regressed baby and the physical demand of setting up the show, the artist took a delirious tumble and broke her hip. The injury made her realize how hard it is to balance motherhood and her passion. Bouvet-Boisclair couldn’t really stay away from clay for too long though! Several large-sized coiled vessels, as well as a demanding commission were made at the dining room table, one leg propped up or balanced to avoid weight.
Bouvet-Boisclair diligently at work while recovering from her injury
Recently the artist has been incorporating images of luminous flowers framing crescent moons. Having a fire pit and swatches of unencumbered night sky in St. Charles has given her time to sit and contemplate her art and reflect on life. The flowers echo the blooms in her garden outside her studio window, and the moon represents the one unchanging thing humanity sees collectively. In a world where there is so much division and fracture between people, looking at the moon reminds her how small we all really are, and our problems outsized.
A few of Bouvet-Boisclair’s most recent work featuring colorful flowers and crescent moons on marbled clay
Bouvet-Boisclair’s surface designs can vary greatly from one series to the next, but they all share the same base of passion for her; painting. While learning the medium, the artist became well versed in applying layers of paint to achieve a finished look. Her painterly illustrations on ceramics often look effortless, but a practiced eye sees the immense work to achieve the sophisticated visual depth. The use of mixed clay bodies, stains, porcelain slips, velvet underglazes, studio glazes and gestural brushstrokes all add up to pieces that have many narratives. Each new new angle of a work blends into the last flowing scene; much like a flat canvas can lay out its story. Her current work always gives the viewer focused and detailed areas, but doesn’t hide the nature (or raw look) of the clay. Bouvet-Boisclair revels in the mushy, tactile nature of the medium. A successful balance of messy and refinement holds the viewer’s attention and curiosity even longer.
The artist is well known for animal themed imagery. Although she’s featured bats, deer, fish and cats on her work, birds are her go-to species. The artist likes to use the graceful feathered beings to convey their unique individuality. By anthropomorphizing them a bit (larger, more luminous eyes, bigger heads), the artist hopes to draw the viewer into their world. By creating this connection, the animal’s personality and curiosity comes across. Her subject matter has gone over well; many people have a “spark bird” or particular species of bird they have connected to their entire lives. Bouvet-Boisclair loved to watch swallows when she lived on the East Coast, and has noticed their decline. The artist also created a set of nesting bowls that feature the little-seen horrors of the fishing industry. Tuna, shrimp and other depleted species are seen between the fishing lines and boats that take without much limit. Each piece she creates is visually beautiful, but the deeper meaning behind the facades creep into view once a vessel is in hand. The artist doesn’t hit the viewer over the head with gory or depressing imagery, but subtly works in her view through her approachable depictions.
Two examples of the artist’s work featuring birds
Bouvet-Boisclair has been gaining a steady following of fans, collectors and supporters over the years. They love to follow her Instagram, in which she generously shares her techniques and inspirations. Her ever-evolving work earned her an interview in Ceramics Monthly in 2020. She was chosen as an emerging artist to watch (more than 300 artist were considered). Then in 2021, Pottery Making Illustrated featured her superb hummingbird watering pitcher. The vessel, which was thrown as well as hand-built, features delicate porcelain slip details, feathery surface painting and gold luster details. Bouvet-Boisclair has shown work in group shows, and has been asked to show at an esteemed gallery space. The artist prefers to work on her own terms though, creating pieces that evolve with her ever-growing techniques, ideas and impressions. She is content checking the moisture of her greenware while her baby naps, and documenting finished pieces in her airy and calming photo style. Bouvet-Boisclair hopes to spin off more series, delving deeper into forms and illustrations that need ample time to develop. She finally has the space, drive and potential to take her work further into the world.
Two features on Bouvet-Boisclair’s work. One in Ceramics Monthly and the other in Pottery Making Illustrated