Meet Brett Freund, our September LEAP finalist! Slip casting and composing geometric forms, Brett creates geode-esque vessels that burst with personality. Almost like a de Kooning drawing come to life, Brett?s ceramics are truly a joy to look at and hold. His work will be on sale in the SCC Store through November 14th. We asked Brett a few questions about his inspiration and process:
SCC: Tell us about your work
My work embodies functional, decorative, and sometimes sculptural elements.? I build each piece intuitively with cut and paste slip -casted porcelain parts.? There is always a basic premise to each piece but differences in the details.
SCC:?Tell us about your training/education/special mentors.?
I first started taking ceramics classes growing up in Pittsburgh.? I have a Masters of Fine Arts degree with a concentrated in ceramics, and was awarded the Lormina Salter Fellowship in 2012 from Baltimore Clayworks.? I don?t know if I?ve ever shown my mentors the full appreciation they deserve but I think about them often.
SCC: Why were you drawn to clay?
I was originally drawn to clay for its response to touch and its ability to hold loose forms.? It?s also a material that lends to mistakes and accidents in positive ways.
SCC: What inspires you?
I like objects that reflect our culture from the point of view of an individual.? Things that are both precocious and flawed have the ability to stir my imagination.? Over and over again, I?m drawn to work that is about evolution and experimentation rather than a fully realized concept.
SCC: What?s the best piece of advice you?ve received as an emerging artist?
Promise little but exceed expectations.
SCC: What advice do you have for others considering a career in the arts?
Make as many mistakes/failures as you need to in order to make the work you feel you should be making.
