The Phoenixville art scene is known for its collaborative community at many levels. This November, we are featuring a collaborative show by PXV art couple Abby and Ryan Wheeler of Studio 323. Their ceramics show opens 11.7.26 at Julie Miller Pottery.
What inspired your collaborative show?
There have been special occasions over the years that have felt like obvious opportunities for us to collaborate in the studio - like making our wedding centerpieces. This showing of work is slightly different. Due to our hectic schedules, we have not had the chance to make work together in quite some time. This show gave us a great opportunity to get back into the studio together and create alongside one another. We will both have individual works on display, plus a small collection of pieces we’ve collaborated on by having one person begin a piece and the other finish it.
What are your strengths as individual artists?
I (Abby) meet my creativity in a place of play and experimentation. With very little planned out before my hands are dirty, the work evolves with each piece. I’ve had a bit of a hiatus from making since we opened our business (Studio 323), so this exhibition has acted as a force to get me back into the studio creating just for my own pleasure. I like the freedom of being loose with my plans and with my execution - it opens up the possibilities in my mind for what can be created.
Ryan, on the other hand, is a planner. He likes to have a plan when going into a making cycle, and enjoys working in larger batches. He methodically goes through his work, focusing on one step of the process at a time. His surfaces are another strength of his. The process for his surfaces has evolved over time through trial and error, and layering different surface textures on top of each other.
What is your strategy for collaborating as a couple?
With strikingly different creative approaches, we wanted to exercise the ability to start something and have our partner finish it. In hindsight, this exercise is reminiscent of how we do life together, requiring us to accept (and even enjoy) when the other makes a choice different from what you expected. We've collaborated on many things in life, most notably raising our daughter...but this body of work is a limited run of ceramic objects that shows the intersection of form and surface working together.
What do you hope people take away from your show?
We hope that our works existing together in the space allows a variety of viewers to enjoy the collections. To see that two different aesthetic preferences can co-mingle on the same shelf. And maybe some viewers will even choose to bring home a piece to use in their daily lives! All of the pieces we are showing are meant to be interacted with, shared, and enjoyed!
How do you see Studio 323 growing in the next year?
We are so excited about the growth of our studio over the last 4 years and have some big shifts coming soon! Stay tuned for a big announcement later this month about what this means for our community!
