Sara Alfieri

Founder of Bauhaus, Walter Gropius once said, “Design is neither an intellectual nor a material affair but simply an integral part of the stuff of life, necessary for everyone in society.” My functional pottery is an illustration of this philosophy. In my work, I aim to generate a unified compositional relationship between form and surface. With shape, line, pattern, color, and texture, I respond to each pot’s construction and form. My recent exploration of processes including 3D modeling along with a modular mold-making system for slip casting imparts variation in my forms while my intricate surface design application communicates a geometric visual language to the viewer. Incomplete lines paired with bold geometric shapes that divide the surface, provide a feeling of balance and movement throughout the piece. Masses and voids established by a rectangular indentation on a cup or the ridge on a plate, serve as formal elements; purposeful diagrams for hand placement or food tools, while reprising visual elements of the surface design. The object therefore gains value beyond its visual aesthetics by having its formal elements connected directly to its function. Pottery is meaningful in the way it allows for both personal expression and proximity between object and user. I am interested in pottery as an ingress to an experience. A pot solicits interaction, not just viewing. The meaning of a pot changes through experience, gaining content through use. By exploring the intersections between craft and design, I hope to enhance the art and act of dining with a sense of complexity and intention in each piece’s form and surface.
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