Victoria or V Walton, a multidisciplinary ceramic sculptor, also creating video works, visited Eastern Michigan University on Feb. 6 for an evening artist lecture and Q&A session in Halle Library’s auditorium. Walton was invited by EMU’s School of Art and Design and the Department of Women’s and Gender Studies to speak about their practice.
Walton is based in Baltimore, Md., and received their MFA in Ceramic Art from Alfred University and BFA in Ceramics from Towson University. As a Black, queer, and disabled artist, Walton’s work aims to represent their identities and lived experiences, while drawing inspiration from the people around them.
“I reflect on my work now and how it has evolved over the years as an exploration of my own personal identity to a wider survey of the Black experience,” Walton said.
Walton is an adjunct professor and community organizer. They focus on creating inclusive workshops and spaces for Black and disabled artists. A way that Walton pays attention to accommodations in lectures is by describing their works in words alongside photographs of their works.
Throughout the lecture, Walton describes the evolution of their work and practice, focusing on the change in their intentions.
“Now as a large-scale sculptor, I constantly think about the relationship of the work to the viewer,” Walton said. “I’ve found that the more similar the scale is to the viewer the more that we find ourselves living through the lens of the piece and putting ourselves in the mindset of the artist’s intention even subconsciously.”
Danny R.W. Baskin, EMU’s Gallery program director, and Margeaux Claude, EMU’s assistant professor of Ceramics, facilitated the event.
Claude opens the Q&A session with the question, “As I work with students who are looking to venture into sensitive territory, can you tell us a little bit about how you felt space to do that in your work or how you created that space for yourself and how young artists might approach that?”
“At the time, It came out of necessity. It was a personal investment I was making,” Walton said. “Now that I’m exhibiting, I’m realizing that I’m being vulnerable with people who will receive it and not receive it so just be aware,” Walton said.
To attend future events put on by EMU galleries, visit their website www.emugalleries.org/. To view Walton’s work, visit their website www.victoriawaltonstudio.com, or their Instagram @victoriawaltonstudio.
