OCTOBER 26, 2021. GRACE EBERT

Detail of “Revolve” (2021), glazed stoneware and porcelain, 168 x 335 x 35 centimeters. All images © Courtney Mattison

Two new site-specific pieces by Courtney Mattison (previously) position ceramic sculptures of corals, sponges, and anemones in a swirling cluster of ocean diversity. Titled “Revolve” and “Our Changing Seas VII,” the wall reliefs are the latest additions to the Los Angeles-based artist’s body of work, which advocates for ecological preservation by highlighting the beauty and fragile nature of marine invertebrates.

“Our Changing Seas VII” (2021), glazed stoneware and porcelain, 213 x 350 x 40 centimeters

In both installations, Mattison contrasts the vibrant, plump tentacles of healthy creatures with others sculpted in white porcelain to convey the devastating effects of the climate crisis, including widespread bleaching. Her recurring subject matter is becoming increasingly urgent, considering recent reports that estimate that 14 percent of the world’s coral population has been lost in the last decade alone.

Each of the lifeforms is hand-built and pocked with minuscule grooves and textured elements […]

“Revolve” (2021), glazed stoneware and porcelain, 168 x 335 x 35 centimeters

More: Hundreds of Ceramic Marine Creatures Radiate in Gradients to Show the Effects of Coral Bleaching