Client: Wofford College Chandler Center for Environmental Studies

Overview

By Courtney Mattison
2021
Glazed stoneware + porcelain
168 x 335 x 35 cm (66 x 132 x 14 in)
Permanent collection of Wofford College, Chandler Center for Environmental Studies, Spartanburg, SC.
Gift of the Sarah MacGregor Ruffin Art Fund at Wofford.
All photography by Mark Olencki, Wofford College.

“Water connects us all, from the lush banks of Lawsons Fork Creek to the icy glaciers of the Arctic and glittering reefs of Southeast Asia. Life on Earth is dependent on healthy oceans. The swirling design of this work is inspired by these connections and patterns, with revolving forms repeated in nature through hurricanes, seashells, ocean waves and galaxies. By highlighting the fragile beauty of coral reefs in the face of climate change, this intricately hand-sculpted ceramic wall relief aims to inspire viewers to protect and restore the marine environment.”

Goals

This wall relief was commissioned for permanent installation on the wall of a seminar room in the Chandler Center for Environmental Studies at Wofford College in Spartanburg, SC. It was designed in response to the space to engage viewers from around the room while accommodating teaching staff. The work is visible from the campus quad outside a large second story window wall, with lighting scheduled throughout the night.

Process

Consulted with architect (McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture) to determine appropriate wall design and lighting during construction. Designed, fabricated and installed the work alone.

Additional Information

Courtney Mattison hand-crafts intricate and large-scale sculptural works that visualize climate change through the fragile beauty of coral reefs. Her work has been commissioned internationally for permanent collections including those of the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta and Lindblad Expeditions’ National Geographic Endurance ship. Her exhibition history includes solo shows at the New Bedford Whaling Museum, the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Lux Art Institute, where she was Artist in Residence. In 2020, the U.N. Postal Administration published Mattison’s work on a stamp to commemorate Earth Day. Born in 1985 and raised in San Francisco, Mattison received an interdisciplinary BA in marine ecology and ceramic sculpture from Skidmore College in 2008 and an MA in environmental studies from Brown University with thesis coursework at the Rhode Island School of Design in 2011. Her work has been featured on the covers of American Craft, Beaux Arts Magazine and Brown Alumni Magazine, and by Smithsonian Magazine, Good Morning America, Oprah Magazine and BBC World Service. She lives and works in Los Angeles.