Jonathan Entler

Entler Studio’s ceramic work brings a whole new meaning to the possibilities of this often underestimated sculptural medium. Jonathan Entler creates mind bending pieces that seem to defy the notion that they began simply as clay, shaped by hand. Of course in between the beginning and the end requires a highly technical and intricate process that has been painstakingly perfected by relentless trial and error. His approach to ceramic art strikes a balance between systematic and irregular, creating his own language of how light can fill up a room. We joined him in his airy outdoor studio in Echo Park, surrounded by palm trees and California sun to witness how it all coalesces, clay, kiln and all.

What originally drew you into product design? Was there a particular experience or personal calling?
My dad is an amazing woodworker so I’ve been around furniture and interiors since I was little. As a teen I became interested in the evolution of fashion and design and how these things are influenced by popular ideas and socio-economic factors. I used to spend a lot of time in thrift stores with my best friend Richard, discovering all the discarded artifacts from earlier decades, wondering what people were thinking when they made these things. We would often end up at the library looking up the answer to that question, and bring home stacks of books for further research.

To what do you most attribute the development of your craft? Did you have a mentor or formal education?
Because my parents were both very industrious makers I’ve always had the resources around me to make anything I could think of. Modeling clay always seemed so direct and endlessly forgiving so I spent many long hours with it when I was very young. Forming objects by hand became innate. In grade school I had a teacher name Riley Ramsey, who had ceramic slip casting in the classroom. I became fascinated with the process of reflecting an object by using the negative space around it to make a mold. Think about it.

Have you encountered any risks or challenges over the years as you’ve developed your practice?
Having the time and resources in place to do the work has often been a challenge. Mold making and casting ceramics require a fair amount of equipment and materials to be in place and maintained for the whole thing to work and keep moving. Also, ceramics are inherently prone to failure and one really must get comfortable with this to keep doing it.

When thinking about the future of your work, what are you most excited about?
Right now I’m most excited about the collaborations I have in the works. I just leased studio and gallery space nearby with a beloved friend and creative partner; new lighting, furniture (and other amazing things) will be happening there soon.

What is it about light (or the lack thereof) that compels you to your designs?
I think it’s a special honor to make the object that holds the light in a room. I strive to find elegance and logic to the forms and material in consideration of this. I think of them as self-illuminating sculptures.

The curvatures and fluidity of your pieces are remarkable. Can you share some of the process on how you achieve this?
Thank you. The curves are a result of hand forming the original models as well as hand finishing the castings. When people think of slip casting they get this idea that the mold makes the piece but that’s very far from the reality. The original models are made using a variety of methods, including hand carving in foam, plaster and other materials, wheel throwing, 3D printing, and machine milling. The shapes we attempt often require a good bit of trial and error in getting the mold to work properly. The resulting rough castings are then trimmed and finished by hand, which is what you see in the finished piece.

Your pieces reflect an evolved and engineered approach to ceramics. Is there an artist or genre, past or present that has inspired you to push boundaries with your work?
I love the work of the Art Nouveau masters. It was just a beautiful creative response to the advent of industry and mechanized production of everything, which seems relevant to the transitions we are going through now.

You have studios on both the far west and east side of Los Angeles so naturally LA traffic comes to mind. How do you usually pass the time during your commute?
I nearly always jump in the ocean on the way. It always resets my mind and I feel great no matter how long the drive is. I’m just daydreaming of projects and all the other reasons I’m so happy to be alive.

Jonathan wears the Clover in Matte Pine