Tony Quintanilla
Tony Quintanilla (1959 Kansas City, Mo.) spent his first ten years in Arequipa, Peru, surrounded by the Andes and dormant (well, not all...) volcanoes. This landscape left such an impression, that more than a half century later it still appears on his ceramic works.
Quintanilla moved back to the United States and settled into Evanston, IL. after his father took a job teaching in the area. He never forgot the place he spent the first ten years of his life; a city built of ancient white volcanic stones, etched with reliefs. When Tony started working in clay at Lincoln Square Pottery Studio – Learning Center three years ago, he employed a similar low relief aesthetic on his surfaces. The artist says that the architecture of his childhood city also informs his slab-built creations, as well as the emotions connected to that time period. His experience as an immigrant is that you leave part of yourself behind. By creating artwork, he revives his memories and feelings for a far away place. The connection between what is created with the clay and his past experience is what keeps him charged about future projects.
Quintanilla had only ever taken one class in ceramics during his time at school (Bachelors in Civil Engineering 1985, Northwestern University, Masters in Engineering 1994, Illinois Institute of Technology), even though he took enough art classes to almost complete another degree. He happened to stumble onto LSPS-LC on a walk down Lincoln Avenue not very long ago. He showed up for the Friday evening hand building class and describes the experience as a wave of euphoria. It had been a few decades since he’d been truly creative (career and a family of three kids distracted him), and he found a part of himself again. Shortly after starting, LSPS-LC’s Meg Biddle recommended he take a look at the work of artist Margit Kovacs of Hungary. Her figurative sculptures exuded sentiment and a folk-like aesthetic. Quintanilla was instantly drawn to it, and started his own cylindrical figures. In short order he created a statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and charming pieces of his wife and daughters. This new direction broke open an interest in larger portrait work. He hit a snag when gravity, wet clay and his eager intentions kept his work from setting up properly. He took a leap and signed up for a class with artist Charity White at the Lillstreet Art Center. There he learned how to create a bust from start to finish, a process that takes months when done correctly. His first large-scale piece, a depiction of his youngest daughter, was built with a metal armature and a lot of patience. He employed images and videos of his daughter’s head, took measurements of facial features, and learned how to hollow out and reassemble the composition. The process left him enthralled and wanting to create more. His wife Claire was his next subject, and after finishing his class with White, he created his most monumental piece, of his son, on his own at LSPS-LC. Quintanilla was kind enough to show the studio’s students how to cut the work apart and hollow it out without damaging its integrity during an evening lecture event.
As much as the artist likes his finished projects, he loves the unfolding of them even more. He enjoys the way the process engages him physically as well as mentally, and feels it is the antidote to a busy life. Quintanilla’s work mostly stays within the family because each piece is created with emotion for a person, or landscape he adores. If you’re lucky, you’ll get a handpicked plate or cup with the markings of his childhood vistas. Then you know you’ve made a good friend!