Artist: Joe Pintz
Joe Pintz, MISSOURI
Artist Statement:
Household objects are dense with meaning and define the structure of one’s life. My work explores the role that domestic objects play in fulfilling our physical and emotional needs. They are based on mundane objects from the domestic realm, referring to traditional pottery and other implements associated with the hand.
Recreating common objects out of clay is a subtle and transformative act. I choose objects that have an inherent emotional charge, moving them from the known to the unknown. This mystery accentuates their metaphorical potential. Rhythm and repetition of form contextualizes this change of state and invites the viewer to reconsider the object’s meaning.
In contrast to the majority of images that bombard us everyday, my minimal forms achieve an unadorned simplicity. By carving them out of a solid block of clay, I reveal the unrefined qualities of the clay. People often begin to grasp the significance of objects when they are lost, broken or worn out. For this reason, I choose weathered surfaces and faded colors that suggest use. Ultimately, these straightforward objects celebrate the poetics of the commonplace.