The audio file for this article was produced by the Ceramic Arts Network staff and not read by the author.
Ceramics Monthly: How do you develop the forms or surfaces that are prevalent in your work?
Clarissa Pezone: I take a few different approaches when starting a sculpture or installation. Sometimes, I have a clear vision of the final piece and begin with a sketch. Other times, I start with a vague idea, letting the sculpture take
shape as I work. My interests at the time influence the direction the piece takes, whether from art history, books, or personal experiences. I keep albums of pictures from history and everyday life that often become reference imagery for pieces.
I primarily use coil building, but incorporate slab and pinch techniques as needed. My work is generally made with earthenware and painted with either cold finishes or underglaze and glaze. I apply color in thin layers to achieve a drippy, translucent
look to capture the variations of color in skin, and to add dimensionality. Due to the nature of working with coils, most of my work starts from the bottom and is built from the ground up. I sometimes work with the use of reference imagery to guide
me, and other times just from memory.
1 Clarissa Pezone's Eve and Adder, 16½ in. (41.9 cm) in height, stoneware, underglaze, glaze, fired in oxidation to cone 6, 2025.
CM: What inspires your work in clay?
CP: Many different things inspire my work, from art history and classical sculpture to relics, reliquaries, religious imagery, and themes like Memento Mori and Vanitas. I also draw from personal experiences and memories, often incorporating
meaningful objects that connect to my past or reflect allegories from mythology and lore that resonate with me.
Books and stories are another source of inspiration, especially sci-fi, fantasy, or magic realism. For example, a short story I was reading influenced the title and concept of a recent installation piece. Even if my work doesn’t directly reference
the mythology or history that inspires it, those influences still shape the ideas and concepts behind it.
I’ve grown interested in incorporating animals into my sculptures as well and thinking about ways that animals act as personal and mythological messengers and symbols. I’m interested in weaving realistic imagery with personal experience in
a way that embraces fantastical, mysterious, and surreal narratives.
2 Clarissa Pezone's Sock head, 16½ in. (34.3 cm) in height, earthenware, underglaze, glaze, fired in oxidation to cone 04, 2025. Photos: Jacob Lindauer.
CM: How do you incorporate experimentation into your studio practice?
CP: I think of my work as a constant source of experimentation, since my focus is making individual and distinct sculptures, with differences in how they’re constructed, the ideas that influence them, or the materials used to finish
them. I incorporate a wide range of finishes, including underglaze, glaze, acrylic and oil paint, watercolor, pastels, and even mixed media or found objects. Using a wide range of materials gives me space to experiment with different ways to approach
the surface while learning about the potential of different mediums.
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The audio file for this article was produced by the Ceramic Arts Network staff and not read by the author.
Ceramics Monthly: How do you develop the forms or surfaces that are prevalent in your work?
Clarissa Pezone: I take a few different approaches when starting a sculpture or installation. Sometimes, I have a clear vision of the final piece and begin with a sketch. Other times, I start with a vague idea, letting the sculpture take shape as I work. My interests at the time influence the direction the piece takes, whether from art history, books, or personal experiences. I keep albums of pictures from history and everyday life that often become reference imagery for pieces.
I primarily use coil building, but incorporate slab and pinch techniques as needed. My work is generally made with earthenware and painted with either cold finishes or underglaze and glaze. I apply color in thin layers to achieve a drippy, translucent look to capture the variations of color in skin, and to add dimensionality. Due to the nature of working with coils, most of my work starts from the bottom and is built from the ground up. I sometimes work with the use of reference imagery to guide me, and other times just from memory.
CM: What inspires your work in clay?
CP: Many different things inspire my work, from art history and classical sculpture to relics, reliquaries, religious imagery, and themes like Memento Mori and Vanitas. I also draw from personal experiences and memories, often incorporating meaningful objects that connect to my past or reflect allegories from mythology and lore that resonate with me.
Books and stories are another source of inspiration, especially sci-fi, fantasy, or magic realism. For example, a short story I was reading influenced the title and concept of a recent installation piece. Even if my work doesn’t directly reference the mythology or history that inspires it, those influences still shape the ideas and concepts behind it.
I’ve grown interested in incorporating animals into my sculptures as well and thinking about ways that animals act as personal and mythological messengers and symbols. I’m interested in weaving realistic imagery with personal experience in a way that embraces fantastical, mysterious, and surreal narratives.
CM: How do you incorporate experimentation into your studio practice?
CP: I think of my work as a constant source of experimentation, since my focus is making individual and distinct sculptures, with differences in how they’re constructed, the ideas that influence them, or the materials used to finish them. I incorporate a wide range of finishes, including underglaze, glaze, acrylic and oil paint, watercolor, pastels, and even mixed media or found objects. Using a wide range of materials gives me space to experiment with different ways to approach the surface while learning about the potential of different mediums.
Learn more at www.clarissapezone.com.
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