building with billy ritter
Is it just me or does coffee taste better in a handcrafted, one of one mug?
There is nothing like handcrafted pieces in a home, and for me, especially in a kitchen. I love to create cozy dining experiences at home, and an elemental piece of that experience is the incorporation of a specially designed bowl, mug, or tray. If you are like me, and enjoy curating your space in a way that feels intentional and romantic, then the work of Billy Ritter is for you.
If you revisit my last feature Chef Douglas Katz and pay attention to the background of Zhug, you will notice the work of Billy Ritter. A Cleveland based artist, specializing in ceramic forms; Billy’s studio is a piece of the world that invites community and collaboration. His work has been featured in many campaigns from retail to food and florals, and always brings elevated dimension and animation. Billy’s studio feels untethered with the type of calm modernity that features simple textures and palette that don’t feel overdone or specific to any certain time period or design category. It was easy to see how and why so many people, businesses and brands aim to partner with him.
I met up with Billy in his Cleveland studio to see his creativity in action and learn more about his experiences with teaching workshops, his perspective on environmental impact and how he focuses when feeling unmotivated or stuck.
What is one cultural touchstone that has changed your life and why? (A film, book, work of art, song/album, etc.)
Without a doubt, the Ron Fricke film Baraka. Two books of note: the US Army Survival Manual, and Ram Dass, Be Here Now. A specific work of art is tough to nail down. Though the porcelain works of Pittsburgh artist Edward S. Eberle never cease to ask me deeper questions. Songs and albums are an endless chapter of inspiration in my life. Most notably jazz, funk and instrumental music: Miles Davis: Kind of Blue, John Coltrane: Giant Steps, Medeski Martin & Wood and James Brown.
At what point in your life did you know that you found fulfillment in working with your hands?
Third grade; I remember it vividly. Mrs. Roperti was our teacher. She was lecturing about something (math i think) and I was working (and very focused) on this pencil drawing of the transformer Jetfire. She stopped class and snatched up my drawing to make an example of me to the class. She then tore the drawing into pieces and dropped it in the trash can. I knew at that moment that I shouldn’t have been drawing, though more importantly I realized the power of art.
What are your earliest memories of being drawn to clay?
Twenty years ago, as an undergraduate student at Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania, this was the first time I experienced clay and pottery. On a field trip, our class traversed the banks of Wolf Creek on a fall afternoon and foraged some wild clay from the stream to use in our projects.
“I’ve learned that without the pressure of expectation and with the addition of a positive and open mindset, the sky is the limit.”
What do you regard as a “Billy Ritter” signature product?
I have a lot of different ceramic wares, vessels, and drawings that I make; and I don’t really see them as “products.” When I think of products, I think of conveyor belts, semi trucks, and grocery stores. This is art, and it’s personal, each is one of a kind. There are some series that I’ve continued over the years, but even that is still evolving as it goes. If my stamp or signature is on it, it’s licensed and officially on brand.
You offer various workshops within your studio. What do you find yourself learning from the participants?
I’ve been teaching art for a long time, since 2008 back at Kent State as a G.A. Since then, I have taught at many of the centers and schools around Cleveland. Over the course of 13 years, I’ve worked with and mentored hundreds of students from all walks of life, in the practice of pottery, drawing, and painting.
In the five seasons of teaching private workshops at my studio, I have learned from my students the power of meaningful experiences. I’ve learned that without the pressure of expectation and with the addition of a positive and open mindset, the sky is the limit.
For people who may not know the history behind the Hildebrandt building, would you be able to give them a little more insight? Do you feel you have a responsibility to look out for other artists who work within the same building?
Hildebrandt Co. has a rich history in the Cleveland, OH region. Their background began as a family owned meat processing firm back in the late 1800s and continued through the 1970s. Today, Hildebrandt Co. is a hub for local artists and food entrepreneurs in the Cleveland area. Our “Hildebrandt Family” as we call it, is pretty connected. We are always touching base with each other, visiting, talking shop, and dreaming up events. We all spend a lot of time here and are always cross promoting one another and helping one another grow in new and positive ways.
You’ve done a few partnerships for local restaurants and shops such as Zhug and Duck-Rabbit Coffee just to name a few. Can you tell us how relationships like that are formed?
Relationships like that are formed through honest intentions; seriously contemplating an authentic fit for a collaboration, and then just making friends!
Talk about your process. Specifically, the differences between a wood-fire kiln and a gas fire reduction kiln?
Simplified process of making a work: Dream it up, prepare the clay, make it, trim and refine it, let it dry (slowly), fire it in the bisque kiln, unload it, glaze it, fire it in a glaze kiln.
The differences of a gas versus wood Kiln: A gas kiln and a wood kiln can produce moderately similar results, depending on the presence of a reduction atmosphere (as opposed to oxidized one) and also atmospheric effects. A wood kiln is fired with wood and a gas kiln is fired with gas.
How do you prioritize functionality versus aesthetic?
Functional work (tableware, cups, mugs) and “non-functional” or decorative works both contain my aesthetic. Aesthetic is the concern of or appreciation of beauty. This is the way and parameters of when we consider a work to be complete. I make all of my functional work to be functional, and my decorative work is almost always functional as well. In my considerations and execution, my aesthetic is always there, unavoidably guiding the way.
Is environmental impact part of your design consideration?
Due to its natural origin and its components, clay is not only a sustainable material but also easy to recycle. Extracting clay from the soil is a process that has minimal impact on our environment. Furthermore, I recycle and recapture about 99% of my process based “scrap material.”
What lessons do you carry with you from your very first project?
Staying humble, the continued state of not knowing and being surprised, and all of the ceramics magic.
What have been some of your biggest challenges since you decided to do this full-time?
My biggest challenge in becoming a full time studio artist is juggling all of the characters you need to be to make any level of success as an entrepreneur. Though, to that same point, for those of us blessed with some healthy level of ADD, you’ll find the freshness in constantly doing something different every day. The challenge resides in when to do it, and then actually remembering to do it.
How do you refocus yourself when you're feeling unmotivated or stuck?
I always say, “The greatest part of making a difference is showing up.” To that point, I have always had a very militant conviction to my studio practice. Even when there are days that you just aren’t feeling it, you show up and be there in the space and try. And sometimes it bombs and goes nowhere, and that’s ok.
There is an over glorification of constantly being “productive” and “busy” that comes from the universal supply chain and conveyor belt of this industrial world, and I think that it’s not for me. The beauty of being an artist and maker is the real organic ebb and flow of making really great work. I left the organized rat race of a 9-5 to follow what I know is my calling. And so as it goes, I am my own boss and it’s on my terms.
That being said, I don’t feel unmotivated ever because I go to the gym three days a week and this keeps my blood flowing. I do however sometimes feel stuck in a creative rut, and when that happens I do the exact opposite of what I would normally do, whatever that may be.
“The beauty of being an artist and maker is the real organic ebb and flow of making really great work.”
Aside from ceramics and art, talk about other passions that fulfill your life.
Life itself, truly. There are so many things I have no idea about and I love learning and discovering. Music is one of those things. Radio, and Spotify is an endless chasm or wonder. Nature and being out in the wild is my favorite pastime. I spend as much time as possible biking, hiking, and exploring geology and this land we live in.
This past year I fell into a love relationship with someone really magical, and we dream and explore together, and it’s a wonderful life. And beyond culture, travel, and love there is always food! And I love eating and cooking, which brings us full circle back to ceramics and making functional work for eating and cooking.
What are you most looking forward to in 2022?
New ideas, new friends, new directions, bigger shows, building community, travel, celebrations, the seasons again, just life one more time, and I’m so thankful for it all.
