dominic falcione clay sculpture: miniview

dominic_falcione_harmonix_craftworks_bulb_vases

i immediately connected with these handcrafted ceramic pieces in ohio-based artist dominic falcione’s shop the moment i saw them. they’ve got everything i love in high quality craft: the organic, tactile appeal of clay, the handsome sculptural forms, and a bonus: an true function, in this case as a vase. i was intrigued by dominic’s etsy profile, which on first read seemed oddly out of sorts with what he has in his shop, because in it he claims that he is not a potter! how can you have a ceramics line and not be a potter? well, dominic can, and with great passion. and the path he’s traveled to get there seems to flow and glide along as fluidly as his thoughts about it all…

dominic_falcione_self_portrait_sculpture

q: i see you’ve written in your profile on etsy that you have a metalsmithing and sculpture background. how did this all begin?

a: i never really built anything until i was about 21 years old. i was always more of an illustrator or painter. the first thing i really built was an iguana cage for my girlfriend at the time. i think it had a big impact on me because there were multiple elements to address about what an iguana cage is and how it needs to function â€“ like heat, air flow, humidity, lighting, accessibility, security, a variety of landscape elements, etc. at the time, we were pretty attached to that cool little iguana so it was very important to make a healthy environment for it as well as make the cage a piece of furniture, a functional centerpiece to a room that incorporated a design influenced by the life that the cage contained. i got hooked on that kind of alchemic design aesthetic.

i entered college after that experience to pursue what i have always done, illustration and painting, but eventually, i began to see some metal work that other students were doing and started taking 3D courses. i focused in metalsmithing because of the small, intimate, intricate and meticulous work that i loved about drawing and painting. for me, metalsmithing evolved into small sculptural objects and i started to incorporate other materials as part of a language with metals as a base. then i began sculpture courses to make larger fabrications with wood, plaster, etc. i stuck with sculpture for a while because there was no precedent of materials â€“ any material was part of the palette. sculpture gave me fabrication experience with materials and metalsmithing gave me experience in fabricating with precision and grace.

dominic_falcione_harmonix_craftworks_spire_vases_combination

from all this, i gained the experience and word of mouth as someone who knew how to design and make things well, which landed me a full time job working with a local architectural fabricator/artist john comunale. i quit school and worked in his studio full time for five years building huge architectural signage, interior fixtures like lighting and furniture, and just odd miscellaneous stuff. usually big stuff.

dominic_falcione_harmonix_craftworks_verb_table

q: so how did you get from this metalsmithing-sculpture combination to clay?

a: the experience at comunaleâ€™s took me away from conceptual work, or art for artâ€™s sake. art for artâ€™s sake was a lot of fun, but it was always expensive and very taxing for me personally in a lot of ways. that’s when i started to focus on functional work, more like art objects for the home or for an interior environment. i wanted my work to have a practical purpose. my work started to evolve from sculpture for shows and galleries, to sculpture for the home. the hardest thing i deal with as far as design aesthetics, simply because i just canâ€™t force myself to let go of it, is how to maintain the sculptural language of materials as the vehicle for concept in practical, functional art. thatâ€™s really where the bulb vases came in. i made a decision to limit myself to one platform, and i chose the vase.

dominic_falcione_harmonix_craftworks_bulb_vase_combination

i love the vase right now because it can be sculptural, ornamental, functional, and holds something that no human can really make â€“ a symbol of our size, understanding, and place in this infinite universe of mystery and wonder as well as a symbol of life and death.

to answer your question, i would have to say that i donâ€™t really look at it in that way. it is really just another addition to the palette. i try to use materials that make sense in the language of the object itself. it is an alchemic design approach, and the bulb vases are a successful example, for me, of that kind of harmonious design â€“ hence, harmonix craftworks. the materials, form and function of an object create a language. and, like words in a sentence, they must be symbiotic with each other to be cohesive and understood.

you can find dominic’s work and get in touch with him at his etsy shop.

thank you dominic!

maeera mougin ceramics

fabulous looking handbuilt functional porcelain work from maeera mougin. i love how she draws inspiration from her world travels and incorporates multiethnic cultural styles into her collection. and of course i love that cheese platter with molded detailing from actual cheese labels.

Â maeera_mougin_porcelain_tableware

see more and find out where to purchase her work on her website.

one of a kind chicago: 2008 highlights, pt. 2

more intrigue, mystery and fun from the one of a kind show happening here in chicago and continuing through the weekend, and one more post coming after this one…

steve_shay_citizen_shay_art

steve shay’s citizenshay graphic collage prints on canvas and wood

Â baabaazuzu_recycled_wool_accessories

recycled wool accessories by sue burns for baabaazuzu

mike_welton_oil_paintings

oil paintings from mike welton

ernest_miller_ceramics

porcelain pottery and sculpture by ernest miller

alison_bixby_photography

seen-around-the-city photography by alison bixby

leaves of clay ceramics

Beautiful functional and sculptural stoneware with great organic style from the talented hands of North Carolina potter and Etsy seller Michele Humphrey for her leavesofclay shop. Each piece is imprinted with different leaf species from the trees nearby.

leaves_of_clay_stoneware_vase

leaves_of_clay_stoneware_sphere

leaves_of_clay_stoneware_mug

I am pretty sure I need to touch these right away.

See more at Michele’s Etsy shop and the Leaves of Clay website.

heather mae erickson ceramics

let’s all glide into the weekend on the smooth and minimal stylings of philadelphia clay artist heather mae erickson. heather’s porcelain work revolves around the past, present and future, and how decorative art comes into play within a functional table setting. heather was kind enough to send me some new work that isn’t up on her website yet either!

heather_mae_erickson_ceramics_appetizer_platter

heather_mae_erickson_ceramics_white_dinnerware

heather_mae_erickson_ceramics_dinnerware_white_black

heather_mae_erickson_ceramics_studio

heather_mae_erickson_ceramics_platter_cups_spoons

heather_mae_erickson_ceramics_sprinkle

heather_mae_erickson_ceramics_black_collection

see a lot more beauty and contact heather on her website.

beeswax vase by studio libertiny

we are going to an opposite extreme from the previous post now with this pretty and intriguing honeycomb beeswax vase from tomÃ¡Å¡ gabzdil libertiny for his rotterdam-based studio libertiny. this natural beeswax piece was created by adding a red wax dye to the colony of 40,000 bees. it took a week to create, and i think is is so beautiful.

studio_libertiny_beeswax_vase

they’ve only made seven pieces, which are available at moss. the price is available on request (which i am so curious to know but if you have to ask…).

see more design from tomÃ¡Å¡ on his website.

cake ceramics

although brooklyn’s cake is comprised of four industrial designers who work in a variety of materials, my eye naturally goes to their retro modern ceramic collection, and let me tell you i am liking it a lot.

cake_collective_huge_bowl