Art is more than paintings and large sculptures. Ceramics are more than just vases and bowls. For former LSU student Kyle Triplett, ceramics have always had a level of depth to them that he explores in his work.
To explain his art process and life in the art world, Triplett will present a lecture at the LSU School of Art and Design tonight. The lecture will give him the opportunity to return to the University and show current students a career in art requires more than talent and vision.
Triplett was born in South Dakota. After taking a ceramics class in high school, he went to college at Southeast Missouri State University on a football scholarship. He was originally a history major, but he switched to ceramics after deciding to end his football career.
After receiving his undergraduate degree, Triplett came to LSU in the fall of 2009 to participate in its post-baccalaureate program in 2011.
The post-baccalaureate program serves as a year-long transition point for artists who have recently completed a BFA from another institution and are preparing to move on to the next point in their career, either residency or a graduate program. Students in the program use the resources to create new works while exchanging tips and tricks with one another, artist residencies and technical jobs.
“I spent a lot of time growing up and getting better at what I make while in the program,” Triplett said.
After finishing his year at the post-baccalaureate program, Triplett went to Ohio University to acquire his masters in ceramics. He moved to Manhattan, Kansas in the fall of 2013, where he took a job as a resident artist at Kansas State University. During his time there, he applied for teaching jobs across the country and received a response from Louisiana Tech University.
He now teaches multiple art mediums such as ceramics and sculpture in the Louisiana Tech University School of Design.
Triplett made plans to return to Baton Rouge and visit his former ceramics professor Andy Shaw. After speaking with Shaw, he was convinced to come in and speak to current art students and share the possibilities they have post-graduation.
If there is one lesson Triplett wants the students to learn, it is that the art world is “tricky.” He encourages having a yes attitude and being flexible when first starting out. Triplett relocated multiple times to continue his art career and suggested students keep an open mind to moving as well.
“You have to start thinking of yourself as a small business,” Triplett said. “Start making smart decisions.”
Like many artists, Triplett makes little to no money on his works. He said understanding how to manage money and funding an art habit is vital to being a successful artist.
Instead of pursuing a different career, Triplett has always had his heart set in the art world. He calls himself a “maker” and enjoys working with young minds that have innovative ideas. There is also an internal struggle within an artist that Triplett enjoys. Viewing each work as a problem that must be solved, he finds happiness in discovering potential solutions in completing a work of art.
“I have a constant urge to take what’s in my head and put it into the world,” Triplett said.
Large format photography and installation pieces are the two forms of art Triplett works on the most. Most of his inspiration comes from the exploration of landscapes and within that theme, the natural and artificial experiences one can have in those environments.
He is also interested in the idea that landscapes can represent homesickness or expectations. Triplett will try to use this theme in all art mediums including video and ceramics.
Ceramic pieces always begin with clay in a wet state, usually made with multiple types of clay. Depending on the object in mind, the clay can be moulded with one’s hands, a potters wheel or a method called slipcasting where clay is poured into plaster moulds and drained.
That clay is then fired to a specific temperature depending on the desired color usually above 2,000 degrees.
Triplett said ceramics have a duality of being very hard but also very fragile. Most ceramic works can hold a liquid but are easily broken similar to glass. Because of this, he strategically plans the transportation and storage of his works.
After his lecture, Triplett hopes more students will find their specific voice in their works. Even outside of ceramics, making decisions based on the conversation an artist wants to evoke is key to being a good artist.
Triplett remembers his time at LSU and the abundance of art that exists in the city. He supports the city’s artistic efforts and wants the residents to support that as well.
“There really is top notch art that happens at LSU and in Baton Rouge,” Triplett said. “Hopefully more people get the chance to see that.”
When: Tonight at 6 p.m.
Where: LSU Design Building Commons room 104
Cost: Free to the public