Studio Visit With Artist Harry Cassell - Inside Art with Michael Rose

Wednesday, January 17, 2024

Michael Rose, Art Contributor

 

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PHOTO: Michael Rose

 

Certain multi-talented artists defy easy description or categorization. Harry Cassell is one such individual and might best be described as a craftsperson - a creator who is dedicated to honing skills and mastering techniques in order to share her vision. An active practitioner on the Providence art scene working in a variety of media, Cassell is an energetic young artist who is producing beautiful and thoughtful objects.

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Originally from San Jose, California, Cassell came to the region to study at the Rhode Island School of Design, where she obtained her BFA in Furniture Design in 2019. Her journey since graduating from RISD has included explorations of materials as varied as metal, wood, ceramics, printmaking, painting, and stained glass. For three years she was a blacksmith at Iron Mountain Forge in Olneyville, where she worked on projects ranging from furniture to decorative metalwork. She now dedicates most of her time to the ceramic arts, but continues to explore other realms of expression with equal excitement and skill.

 

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PHOTO: Michael Rose

 

Speaking of the interdisciplinary approach, she takes to artmaking, and how one medium can inform another, Cassell states, “My experience in woodworking and blacksmithing taught me joinery techniques and to pay attention to how connection points are resolved. It's so fun to bring structural thinking into malleable clay and play with how precision and organic motions can coexist.”

 

Cassell’s exploration of different techniques has been enhanced by her association with The Steel Yard, where she is a second year resident focused on ceramics. On a recent visit to Cassell at the Providence industrial arts hub, the artist showed off her neatly organized resident’s station filled with the materials needed to craft her ceramic artworks. Shelves in her studio cubby are lined with carefully labeled containers for glazes, and ceramics in various stages of completion are also on display. On a nearby shelf, recognizable forms await firing and glazing.

 

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PHOTO: Michael Rose

 

Asked what The Steel Yard has meant to her practice, Cassell focuses on connectivity and camaraderie, stating, “It's been wonderful to be around such a rich artist community. I've learned so much from fellow residents, and am grateful that skill sharing is such a large part of the culture here.” She goes on to detail things she has learned from peers at the space, and the ways in which she has reshaped tips from colleagues to suit her own needs and style.

 

Cassell has truly ensconced herself at The Steel Yard, where she serves as the organization’s Kiln Fellow and has worked on firings of the group’s large soda kiln. In the studio’s kiln room, a vivid piece of red stained glass executed by Cassell illustrates the different stages of ceramics cones used to monitor temperatures in the firing process. It also shows off the artist’s facility in different and complementary modes of making.

 

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PHOTO: Michael Rose

 

Cassell’s ceramic works are defined by the quality of their construction and are set apart by unexpected decorative elements as well as vivid and colorful glazes that are the product of hours of work and experimentation by the artist. Some of her artworks are purely functional and include things like elegant bud vases or miniature amphorae that could adorn any home. Other objects in her repertoire are more sculptural and narrative, conveying the mysterious iconography of myth and folklore.

 

Considering what she hopes viewers experience when interacting with her ceramics, Cassell says, “I want my ceramics to be in people's lives and part of their everyday rituals. I hope people are drawn to the small details that I've really enjoyed spending time on.”

 

Passionate about making and actively exhibiting, Cassell sells her work regularly at local fairs like RISD Craft and also participates in gallery showcases. Recently, she was one of the most popular exhibitors in WaterFire’s Small Works Show and through January 18 she is participating in a pop-up exhibition of current Steel Yard residents being hosted at Pawtucket Arts Collaborative.

 

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PHOTO: Michael Rose

 

A gifted artmaker, Cassell is a quick study and easily leverages new techniques. In addition to furniture, blacksmithing, and ceramics, she has also recently taken up block printing and is already producing refined and precise imagery that ties in nicely to her existing body of work. These works also display the artist’s love of organization and structure.

 

Rhode Islanders often pronounce their hope that more graduates of local universities would stick around after they complete their degrees. Cassell is an example of an artist who came to the state for education but was able to find a career and a fulfilling creative life. Her deep collection of talents merits celebration and patronage from neighbors in her adopted state.

 

Learn more about Harry Cassell’s work at www.harrycassell.com, or follow her on Instagram via @sassafrassell

Michael Rose is a multi-talented fine art professional based in Southern New England. Since 2014 he has served as the gallery manager at the historic Providence Art Club, one of the nation’s oldest arts organizations. Through his current freelance work he advises collectors and artists, provides appraisal services, teaches, and completes curatorial projects.

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