Wednesday, November 18, 2015 // The Statement
8B
Abernathy’s work is dynamic, per-
petually in flux, driven by his insa-
tiable curiosity. He calls himself a
“classicist,” but uses the term loosely.
“Some of the stuff I’m doing now is
definitely not classic,” Abernathy says
with a grin. “I was taught by a lady who
was Swedish, I was fascinated with
Oriental ceramics, and I lace all that
into production and engineering— I’m
a hodgepodge of information.” Deft
and seasoned, he can finish a piece in
four hours: bisqued, fired and glazed.
Abernathy began throwing pots he
was 23, his previous experience with
art no more than drawing comics as a
child. “After about an hour of my first
pottery class, I went up to my teacher
and said that I was going to be a pot-
ter. She said, ‘Oh my god you’ll starve
to death!’ She was right.”
Abernathy laughs to himself in a
series of gentle chuckles; crow’s feet
gather around his green eyes. His thin
frame is agile, but his gait is contem-
plative — each movement is calculated,
every gesture purposeful. He com-
pares himself to a wood-fired glaze:
“It develops age in the kiln,” he says,
thoughtfully. “It’s been around for
so long, it has claimed its place in the
world.”
J.T. Abernathy has likewise claimed
his place in the world. “I’m almost
famous,” he says, “but getting rid of the
almost is very, very hard work.”
The sun now strides across the sky,
announcing the October morning’s
opening scene. Alarm clocks ring,
beep, buzz, and gurgle with NPR’s
Morning Edition. Ann Arbor sheds its
covers, ties its shoelaces and opens the
doors to its hybrid cars.
J.T. Abernathy begins his walk back
home, stopping to observe the texture
of the bark on a nearby maple tree.
“I’m simply fascinated by the joy of
being alive.”
Thought Bubble
“I lost my father a couple of years back. I was the last person to have a conversation with him. He was moving rocks
around the front yard. When I asked him what he was doing, he said, ‘Moving big rocks.’
“Since then, that’s been my driving thing. I wake up every morning and I want to move big rocks. Not only for myself,
but for other people.
“I’ve unfortunately dealt with more than just one close death in the past. I believe in the last interaction you have with
them as being a guiding thing. I believe in a creating being, reasoning of life. I don’t want to just see my dad going, I
like to see that he gave me some closure.”
– LSA junior Steven Halperin, Central Student Government vice president, with Public Policy junior Alex
George, during a CSG event on the Diag Tuesday
POTTERS
From Page 5B
KRISTINA PERKINS/ Daily