Paul Rayner
Ceramic Artist
How would your mother describe you?
Gee you ask the hard questions first!
What's your principal defect?
I don’t know – ask my mother
If you were a cooked meal what would you be?
Beef curry
What's your favourite foreign word? Why?
Is ‘New York’ a foreign word?
What do you have at your bedside table?
A clock, a lamp and a book
Finish this sentence - New Zealand is a land with too few...
Second-hand record shops.
Describe your creative side?
Well, it’s kind of… creative.
How do you overcome a creative block?
By not trying.
Do you have a muse?
My brother, Mark.
What do you enjoy about self-portraiture?
Oddly it can lead to identifying with others as I like portraying my ‘self’ in various ‘guises’. I’ve only ever done one ‘straight’ self-portrait and even that shouldn’t be taken too literally.
What's the last exhibition that really made an impression on you?
Fiona Clark’s ‘Go Girl’ photographs of drag queens from the 1970s.
When do you feel most inspired?
Any time, any place, so I make sure there’s always a pen and paper handy.
What’s your favourite piece you’ve made?
My first Toby jug. That poor, misshapen thing marked my true beginning with clay and led to all sorts of new influences and inspirations.
Describe a fashion trend/new age fad that you have fallen victim to?
The 1970s!!
What is a question you would like to be asked?
“What is your guilty pleasure?”