ITechnical specs
Collection
Material
Ceramic, Photo
Concepts
Capitalism
Year
2023
Production
Made to order
Lead time
6 - 10 weeks
Origin
Italy
Vase
25cm x 25cm x 25cm
IIIThe artwork
Collaged from multiple different plaster molds made in the 1980s (around the year I was born), the lamps’ clay forms are stacked in rickety configurations, seeming almost to buckle under pressure, and modified to make each piece distinct. Creating unique lampshades from leftover canvas I use for my paintings and upcycling fabrics of Villa Bussandri, a company located minutes from where I work that has been fabricating upholstery since circa 1920. I am using fabrics manufactured between 1950 and 1990, a time span that encapsulates the year of my grandparents’ immigration, my parents’ birth, and the year that I was born. Adorning the lamps with fabrics used variably for objects, fashion, and interior design—such as silk, velvet, and wall-coverings—I suggest different relationships between the viewer and the figure of the lamp. This work also takes up the craft of my grandmother Bertilla, who made shades for my grandfather’s lamps when they moved to Canada. An accompanying photo series plays on the idea that these ceramic and cloth objects mirror a human struggle to distinguish oneself, the lamps variably attract attention, blur into the background, or disappear entirely.
While I am interested in breathing idiosyncrasy and distinction into these works, not all of my associations with the factory are negative. I grew up playing in my father and grandfather’s factory, running amongst lighting fixtures and stacked boxes. The slip-casting process used for this group of works traditionally yields materials that are sanded and glazed to perfection, every piece precisely mirroring the others. However, each work in this series is individual, the product of both the mold and my hands. In a way, I see it as my collaboration with the factory and with my cousin, Claudio Lancerini, a very material edit to the knowledge passed down by my forebears.
IVProceeds
Part of the proceeds of each purchase for Break the Mold will be given to The Fondamenta.
With globalized outsourcing of production, the Italian town of Nove di Bassano has deteriorated and begun to lose the material knowledge that has made it a center for clay harvesting and ceramics production for centuries. The Fondamenta proposes to reinvest in Nove’s legacy, stimulating job opportunities, constructing systems of support for local potters, preserving knowledge of ceramic production, and creating opportunities for the international artist community to engage with and learn from Italian artisans.
VSustainability
For the packaging, the lamp will arrive in a recycled cardboard box. The artwork is wrapped in canvas and biodegradable fabric and tied using biodegradable hemp rope. When required, the box contains biodegradable foam packaging which is 100% compostable and non-toxic. It uses cornstarch and offers exceptional cushioning properties while also protecting the planet. You can run it under tap water in your kitchen to dissolve the material.
Note: The ceramics are wrapped in canvas for a particular reason. It is the canvas I paint on and I hope for you to keep this piece of fabric, and make a painting. You can use acrylic paints, or put a layer of gesso down and try oil painting. Let me know if you have any questions!
VIDisclaimer
Dimensions of ceramics are approximate. As each piece is collaged or warped they are one-of-a-kind artworks and the measurements vary slightly.
