We live in a culture that is always on the go. Our obsession with time and speed is one of the defining qualities of our era. Paradigms shift over the course of a year, cultural fashions change overnight, and messaging is instant. The truism “time flies” seems truer every day; yet objects continue to act as silent witnesses to our lives. Even simple household objects are dense with meaning and reveal a wealth of information about our values and beliefs. My work explores the role that domestic objects play in fulfilling our physical and emotional needs. They are based on everyday, commonplace forms that reference utilitarian objects associated with the hand.
My work challenges our preconceived ideas about usefulness and the notions of worth we associate with it. Even at rest, it speaks of visceral labor as well as the fruits of that labor. Whether my work is traditionally functional or simply referencing utility, it calls attention to our complex and evolving attitudes toward labor and food.
My minimal forms are made out of unrefined brick clay and have weathered surfaces. I create bold geometric curves in order to capture the aesthetics of vessels and other objects that are painstakingly carved out of solid materials such as stone or wood. I have developed surfaces to compliment and highlight the texture created during the forming process and to suggest a history of use. Irregularities are not covered up but become an integral part of the whole.
I choose to make objects that allow us to slow down and celebrate the poetics of the commonplace. The stubborn physicality of my work forces the user to pay closer attention to the meal, the moment, and the company around the table. This dialogue reinforces the value of aesthetic experience over efficiency.
Artist Bio:
Joseph Pintz’s functional and sculptural ceramic work explores the role that domestic objects play in fulfilling our physical and emotional needs. Inspired by his Midwestern roots, Pintz creates mundane forms based on utilitarian vessels and other implements associated with the hand. In the process, the dense meaning of these objects is transferred into clay. Pintz earned his BA in anthropology and urban studies at Northwestern University and his MFA from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He has been a resident artist at the Archie Bray Foundation, the Northern Clay Center, and the Roswell Artist-in-Residence program. He has received the NCECA Emerging Artist Award as well as the Individual Excellence Award from the Ohio Arts Council. He is currently a professor at the University of Missouri.
