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About LifeWear magazine Issue 11

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Talking Art and Denim in LA

These West Coast artisans love their denim. After picking up some inspiration at their studios, we paid a visit to the source of UNIQLO jeans.

A Postmodern Master’s Thoughts on Community

Peter Shire Artist, Potter

“I like playing with colours, wearing all kinds of stripes. This yellow one is such a joy. Personally, I’m a big fan of retro T-shirts, with the fine ribbing at the collar,” Peter says. Studio visits by appointment, with artwork available for purchase.

For starters, we headed to Echo Park in east-central Los Angeles to see the studio of living legend Peter Shire. The inside of the quintessentially LA brick building was crammed with Peter’s handmade creations and tools covered with brightly coloured paint—a glimpse into his style and personality. At seventy-five, Peter continues to generate a variety of work, from snappy postmodern mugs to sculptures and furniture, but it all began with ceramics.

“There’s this Japanese movie from the 1950s by Kenji Mizoguchi called Ugetsu that vividly depicts the pottery of Japan’s Sengoku period. Watching this film gave me a longing for the bohemian lifestyle of an old-time potter. My work these days at Echo Park Pottery, which I see as separate from my other work, aims to be a democratic space for art. Ceramics actually get picked up and used, so that each piece becomes part of a life story. They’re really special in that way. For my ceramics, I work with local fabricators who bring my designs to life. Echo Park has been there for me all this time. It’s my hope that by forming a production line, I can create opportunities for other people in the neighborhood,” Peter tells us in a gentle voice. His signature striped T-shirt, paired with a denim jacket and corduroy shorts, strikes a fine contrast with the rich colours of the studio.

The sculpture above was commissioned in the 1980s by the upscale LA department store Bullocks Wilshire, but after some complications it was displayed at a different site in his old neighborhood instead. “I was inspired by the fire towers of Japan,” says Peter.

Peter Shire Artist, Potter

“I like playing with colours, wearing all kinds of stripes. This yellow one is such a joy. Personally, I’m a big fan of retro T-shirts, with the fine ribbing at the collar,” Peter says. Studio visits by appointment, with artwork available for purchase.

His sketches, pictured here, speak to his playful spirit.

Peter Shire

Born in 1947 in Los Angeles. Director of Echo Park Pottery. Since the 1970s, Peter has produced a wide range of sculpture and ceramics. In the 1980s, his unique teapots garnered the attention of Ettore Sottsass, founder of Italian postmodern design group Memphis. The creator of highly original works, he joined the design team for the 1984 Summer Olympics. Peter spends his days creating objects at the studio in his native Echo Park.

Visit the Studio!Echo Park Pottery1850 Echo Park Avenue, Los Angeles echoparkpottery.com/index.html

Not What to Paint, but How

Lesley Vance Artist, Painter

“Denim is such an American material, almost like a uniform for artists. It seems especially common with abstract artists like Robert Rauschenberg, Joan Mitchell, Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner, as you can see from those old photographs of them at work. I really like natural materials and tend to wear loose jeans like these with a denim or chambray shirt. Comfort is the most important thing with clothes.”

Chatting with us in her studio, as gorgeous sun shines through a skylight, artist Lesley Vance touches her brush to a giant canvas, brimming with positive energy. We asked her what excites her about abstract art.

“My job is creating images, and it just so happens that the method that I use is abstraction. In contrast to a still life, where you pick something to draw, abstract art dispenses with the idea of the subject and instead explores new abstract forms, embodying countless possibilities. Not even I know where a piece is going or what will happen. To get things started, I’ll pick up where another work of mine left off, or look through books of art from other authors. Rather than try to control things, I embrace accidents and coincidences, as if it’s the painting that’s creating me. That’s the kind of artist that I am.”

The painting behind Lesley was inspired by a mixture of colours she found on her palette after finishing a painting. “I draw a lot of inspiration from the landscape of LA. The prevalence of tall canvases in my work has something to do with the mountains and tall palm trees,” says Lesley. In one corner of her studio is a wall of shelves packed with art books.

Lesley flips through a book at one edge of her sprawling studio. This pop-inspired UT x Sofia Coppola T-shirt matches her cheerful personality.

Not What to Paint, but How

“Denim is such an American material, almost like a uniform for artists. It seems especially common with abstract artists like Robert Rauschenberg, Joan Mitchell, Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner, as you can see from those old photographs of them at work. I really like natural materials and tend to wear loose jeans like these with a denim or chambray shirt. Comfort is the most important thing with clothes.”

Chatting with us in her studio, as gorgeous sun shines through a skylight, artist Lesley Vance touches her brush to a giant canvas, brimming with positive energy. We asked her what excites her about abstract art.

“My job is creating images, and it just so happens that the method that I use is abstraction. In contrast to a still life, where you pick something to draw, abstract art dispenses with the idea of the subject and instead explores new abstract forms, embodying countless possibilities. Not even I know where a piece is going or what will happen. To get things started, I’ll pick up where another work of mine left off, or look through books of art from other authors. Rather than try to control things, I embrace accidents and coincidences, as if it’s the painting that’s creating me. That’s the kind of artist that I am.”

The painting behind Lesley was inspired by a mixture of colours she found on her palette after finishing a painting. “I draw a lot of inspiration from the landscape of LA. The prevalence of tall canvases in my work has something to do with the mountains and tall palm trees,” says Lesley. In one corner of her studio is a wall of shelves packed with art books.

Lesley Vance

Born in 1977 in Milwaukee. Studying art at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the California Institute of the Arts, today Lesley works out of a studio in Los Angeles. Her work is in the collections of the nearby Los Angeles County Museum of Art and Hammer Museum, as well as The Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She is married to the sculptor Ricky Swallow.

At a GlanceDavid Kordansky Galleryxavierhufkens.com/artists/lesley-vance

Focusing on Local Culture and Practicality

Shoshi Watanabe Ceramist

Rough gray and red clays with matte glazes. Shoshi’s ceramics have the classic feel of LA ceramics.

“As a student at UCLA, I was majoring in neuroscience, but I couldn’t see myself doing it for work. That’s how I took the leap and decided to pursue an MFA in ceramics, which I’d been continuing since middle school. The simplicity of making things and selling them made more sense. LA has a long history of production pottery. My instructor Adrian Saxe taught me glaze recipes from the 1970s and 1980s.”

His artistic approach pays homage to the classic styles of the region and is centered around a sense of practicality, inherent in simple designs.

“I’ll make sculptural, dysfunctional pieces, but I’m interested in food and believe that functional ware should be made to be used. One time I delivered a batch of dishes to a restaurant, and two weeks later they contacted me to say that almost all of them had broken. I was in disbelief. I had no idea how harsh the conditions actually were here in LA. Since then, I’ve centered my design on being heavy duty and practical. This principle has influenced the way I make ceramics.”

Shoshi works as UCLA Ceramics Lab Supervisor. He works out of studios in Los Angeles and Tokyo. “Denim is supple and has enough absorbance to withstand a good amount of wet clay, which makes it great for ceramics. I like how I can wipe my hands and still feel and look good,” Shoshi says. His work can be purchased at Zakka Bakka, a shop he manages with artist friends, and at select shops in Tokyo.

Shoshi says that lately, he’s tried his hand at tandoor ovens and fermentation crocks for wine. Considering his stoic character, dedicated to exploring LA craft traditions, this chambray shirt suits him quite well.

Shoshi Watanabe Ceramist

Shoshi says that lately, he’s tried his hand at tandoor ovens and fermentation crocks for wine. Considering his stoic character, dedicated to exploring LA craft traditions, this chambray shirt suits him quite well.

Shoshi Watanabe

Born in 1986 in Tokyo. Spending early years in Moscow and his teens in Tokyo, Shoshi has called LA home since college. In addition to his studio practice, he works as the Ceramics Lab Supervisor at the UCLA Department of Art while teaching at the University of Southern California. His dishes can be found on the tables of Lulu, the acclaimed restaurant in the nearby Hammer Museum.

Get His WorksZakka Bakka1709 N Kenmore Ave, Los Angeles OPEN Sunday 12:00-16:00instagram @zakkabakka.shop
Photography by Kohei Kawashima
Styling by Mitsuru Kurosawa
Hair & Makeup by Anna Kato
Coordination by Megumi Yamano
Special thanks to Naoyasu Mera, Aya Mutoh
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