Gals of Glazz - Episode 2

Hello! Welcome to the second episode of Gals of Glazz!! This lil project has had such a good response. I think it could be the beginning of something amazing! Maybe we could get this little thing into a real live printed publication? With matching badges for every gal member? Maybe we could have an exhibition? The options are growing everyday!! (I think about it all the time, just last week I was daydreaming about gals of glazz while I was heating at the glory hole and almost lost my piece...! THATS how excited I am about this project. )

In the beginning I guess I was just focusing on my mates but then the ball started to roll and why stop there? Why not cast the net further and see how far it can reach? I want gals of glazz to be a representation of artists at all different points in their careers. The students, the newbies, the ladies who have been paving the way, the ladies who have been there from the beginning.  So today I want to introduce you to a lady who is workin hard up in Canberra and reigns from all the way from the U.S of A, Kristi Totoritis. Kristi make some seriously fantastic work. I love how personal it is for her and I love her colour palette.

Gals of Glazz

Tune in for 10

1.             Who are you and what do you do?

My name is Kristi Totoritis (& by the production name of heartcoreglass) and I hail from San Diego, California in the United States. I am an artist that works mostly in the medium of glass, painting and print media. I also make heaps of jewellery. Currently I am a MVA Candidate at the ANU in Canberra, Australia.

 2.                     What do you make?

I make contemporary vanitas. I focus on things that remind us of our mortality and speak of vanity and self-reflection.  These things are often inspired by the way different cultures deal with this these issues through ceremony and religion. (for example: catacombs, bodily adornment such as tattoos and jewellery, burial, dia de los muertos, witchcraft, burial, marriage..)

On the production side of things I like to make tableware and jewellery.

3.             Why do you make?

Because I have to. It’s in my bones. I’ve been drawing and painting since I was about 3. My Nana taught me how to oil paint at about 4. I get super cranky if I’m not making. It’s like personal therapy and creating something to be remembered by all at the same time.

Also, growing up, everything around me was hand made – my Mom would sew my clothes and all the throw pillows and curtains and things in the house, all the art on my walls was made by my Nana, my Step Dad would build special custom cabinets for our fish tank... Doing it yourself just seemed like the right thing to do.

     4.             What’s you colour palette?

It’s kind of like a 14 punk rock teenagers taste. I love black, and I love pink. And I love black and pink together.  I lean towards those nostalgic vintage pastel colours and pair them with harsh black. When it comes to glass I almost always go opaque. It’s so much richer feeling to me.

5.             What’s your proudest achievement?

That’s a hard call. Taking on my masters and traveling all the way to the other side of the world to do it and go to my dream school is definitely up there.  But it’s a close tie with being on the inaugural team at the Chrysler Museum of Art Glass Studio. That place and those people have my heart. Forevsies.

      6.             Hot or Cold?

Hot and then cold and then hot and then cold and then warm and then cold.  I like to prep stuff before I bring it in the hotshop cold, and then cold work it once I’ve made it hot. And then sometimes throw it back in a kiln again.

 

7.             What’s your dream project?

My little sister is going to uni at NYU for hotel management. One day, I hope she owns some baller resort somewhere magical and we will design and decorate the whole thing together. And I would make chandeliers and neon signs and paintings for it. And it would be wonderful. My sister, Stephanie has fantastic taste in fashion and art. And she’s also a killer photographer. I really want to collaborate with her some day.

8.             What’s your influences?

Tattoos. Surfing. Skatebording. Punk rock. Almost dying in an insane car accident at 17.  Being a child of divorce, and growing up on opposite sides of the country because of that.

People wise, my first glassblowing teacher Nanda Soderberg, My first kiln casting teacher Sayaka Suzuki, Silvia Levenson, Mike Giant, The De La Torre Brothers, John Drury, Tara McPhearson, and Charlotte Potter my old boss and close friend.

9.             What’s coming up for you? Or what are you looking forward to?

GRADUATING WITH MY MASTERS! I’m one semester away! Then I’m just excited to see what happens next – wether it be staying in Australia and moving to Adelaide or something or going back home to my Chrysler family in Norfolk, VA.

10.         If you could only eat 3 foods for the rest of your life what would they be?

Pizza, broccoli and pineapple.

Thank you so much Kristi for taking the time to share your practice with us. (Also I'm pretty sure you could combine your three fav foods on one pizza and choose another two things, score!)