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 an associate professor at the University of Missouri.
Household objects are dense with meaning and define the structure of one’s life. My work explores the role that domestic objects play in fulfilling our physical and emotional needs. They are based on mundane objects from the domestic realm, referring to traditional pottery and other implements associated with the hand.
Recreating common objects out of clay is a subtle and transformative act. I choose objects that have an inherent emotional charge, moving them from the known to the unknown. This mystery accentuates their metaphorical potential. Rhythm and repetition of form contextualizes this change of state and invite the viewer to reconsider the object’s meaning.
In contrast to the majority of images that bombard us everyday, my minimal forms achieve an unadorned simplicity. By carving them out of a solid block of clay, I reveal the unrefined qualities of the clay. People often begin to grasp the significance of objects when they are lost, broken or worn out. For this reason, I choose weathered surfaces and faded colors that suggest use. Ultimately, these straightforward objects celebrate the poetics of the commonplace.