Meet Max, East Fork potter, crayon pot drawer, Asheville store window illustrator, and resident workshop joke maker. Like everyone who works at East Fork, Max is a top-notch individual with many talents; here, he picks five special objects from his home to give us a glimpse into what makes him tick.
Max with the late Kinky, beloved East Fork workshop cat and dear friend. RIP, Kinky. ❤️
Tell us about what you do for East Fork.
My recent work contract says I'm a "Glazer." Predominately I prepare and glaze bisqueware, load and unload kilns, sand, and finish the product. Sometimes I throw pottery, sometimes I doodle and draw. I like to giggle and work really hard.
MAX'S FIVE THINGS
Tell me about the objects you chose.
Those are Tastee Fries from Tastee Diner [in West Asheville] with a Texas Pete packet as a garnish. There's also a Pokémon Blue Version Game Boy cartridge, the Savages' "F***ers/Dream Baby Dream" 12", my mother's 8mm Sony Handycam, and a decorative tile of the Virgin Mary from Pewabic Pottery in Detroit.
What's the deal with the fries?
I just think those fries taste really good and I had a hankering. So they were my favorite thing at that given moment.
Tell me about the Game Boy game.
Pokémon Blue version. That cartridge is my oldest possession. The sticker is faded from use. My six Pokémon are most often Squirtle, Pidgey, Abra, Krabby, Vulpix, and Aerodactyl. But how great is Jolteon? Oh, or Vileplume or Cubone. Psyduck is a quack up. But Krabby is my favorite. What's your favorite, Anne?
I don't know much about Pokémon but I like Squirtle and Charmander because they're cute. I also had a card for Ditto when I was younger which I thought was cool because Ditto is jelly and pink. Frankie is here and she says she likes Vulpix, then Connie likes Flareon and Erin likes Squirtle. Thanks for asking!
Do you play on Game Boy Color? Game Boy XP? SP? What's it called?
I like this question. No, I wish I still had my navy Game Boy Color. I did nab my sister's original transparent gameboy, however I rarely use it since it's so hard to see the screen. I prefer my red Game Boy Advance SP, because of the backlit screen.
My friend Lucian bought two unopened Pokémon card booster packs at this collectibles shop in Dallas over a certain spring break. AND there was a Charizard in the pack. Hysteria. Pure joy. Really nice picks from the store crew. (And a note for the good people of the internet: whoever has my Pokémon Silver version, I want that back.)
So why'd you choose this particular 12"?
I like the Savages. My pal Austin bought that record for me when I moved to North Carolina. Their cover of Suicide's "Dream Baby Dream" is beautiful. I think it's inspiring. It encouraged my move to the area, among other things. You've got to keep that dream burning, Anne.
I love the Suicide song and will listen to this cover! What else encouraged you to move to the area?
A lot of college friends had moved here from Chicago, and I wanted to live near them. I had also interviewed previously with East Fork (and was NOT hired), but I thought I'd pester them once more. Glad I did.
You recently set up the camera for guests at your housewarming party to use to make a "video diary." Do you use it for other video projects?
All of our home movies and school projects were shot on that camera. Embarrassing stuff, but all of its buttons and cables and pivoting components are fun to play with.
I only just recently convinced my mother to part ways with it, and purchased new cassettes only a few weeks ago. I don't imagine I'd use it for finished film projects, but rather as a resource for my drawings.
My mother just recently sent me a portion of this taped indictment against Conrado, the mobster who supposedly was after my great grandfather's property in Honduras. I'd love to somehow use that footage in a drawing series. Clips of the banana farm where my grandmother grew up and a photograph of the family safe with its door blown open - family intrigue.
Only thing left is the tile. Tell me about that choice.
Pewabic is a pottery in Detroit, established in the early 1900's. My parents have collected a lot of Pewabic's decorative tiles. I admired them as a kid, and appreciated them fuller once i started working with pottery. I appreciate the Virgin too. Brave lady. The low relief catches the glaze so nicely, the glaze pooling off of peaks and into the recesses to produce that chiaroscuro effect. Good craftsmanship.
Thanks for having me, Anne.
Thanks, Max!!!
