The Function of Ornament Takes Shape in Vessels by Devin Wilde

Artistic creativity, to some degree, has historically been linked to affliction by way of the starving artist or tortured poet trope – think an anguished van Gogh, an erratic Beethoven, or the volatile Caravaggio – where the final expression represents release, relief, and sacrifice. Though struggle is not technically a precursor to creative practice, catharsis through making remains the profession’s favorite remedy in response to it. But not all are so morose. Modern artists, like Brooklyn-based ceramicist Devin Wilde, more often frame creation as a line of inquiry, an homage to history, or an act of self love.

Vessel No. II in Copper Patina

“I find working with clay to be therapeutic; good for the soul,” Wilde shares from a modest corner studio, where smoke rises from smoldering incense in a sunlit dance to Etta James. “It’s inherently imperfect, also kind and forgiving. It helps me work through perfectionist tendencies that are unkind to myself – more than other mediums I’ve explored,” he continues. “It’s simply how I want to spend my day.”

Vessel No. VII in Aged Bronze

Now a fully fledged entity, Wilde’s creative career has meandered from architectural study at Stanford University through entrepreneurship in digital and user experience design before fully returning to tangible studio practice with wood and clay. His résumé boasts residencies at the Penland School of Craft and Anderson Ranch Arts Center where he worked in the latter, more malleable medium. Those practical experiences inspired the 2023 founding of his formal ceramics studio in Red Hook, not far from the rich New York neighborhoods that now inspire some of his monumental, meaning-laden pieces.

Vessel No. III in Aged Brass

Fluting and scroll-like forms supporting classical friezes. Linework, chevrons, and shapes found in Art Deco facades. Gothic churches with reinforced structures and volumetric proportions. Wilde’s imagination travels through time plucking elements from different architectural periods only to temper them later according to postmodern tenets. But don’t let the perception of ornamentation or whimsy fool you. The placement of functional and decorative features on each object within the broader collection are of consequence.

Vessel No. II in Aged Bronze

Simple silhouettes – conical, cylindrical, and spherical containers – are first hand-built using a mixture of clay with an aggregate called ‘grog’. This helps support structure, articulate texture, preserve linework, promote even drying, and reduce shrinkage during the firing process. Rather than incised, production of the exterior adornments follows the form making and are attached once everything is ‘leather-hard’, a stage where clay is still workable but will hold its form.

Vessel No. V in Ivory

“I know I’ve got it just right when a piece is done and drying and the surface quality is this truly boring monochromatic grey and the form still excites me,” Wilde adds.

Vessel No. IV in Chrome

His signature gesture comprises exaggerated ribbing in high relief often accentuated by circular discs, coiled feet, or full round ball finials at their terminus – much like serifs on letterforms that create a habitual groove as one reads the surface. Trimmings are placed in a balanced and symmetrical arrangement to be dramatically augmented by light-catching metal oxide glazes in patinated copper, aged bronze, or rust-covered iron, which confers importance and elevates the object’s status to venerable.

Vessel No. VIII in Ivory

“All the forms that I’m coming up with are intended to exist with a duality of ancient and modern aesthetics, and the glazes that I’m using are meant to reinforce that. They’re meant to evoke an ancient quality to my work, like a metal artifact that was just pulled out from the sea,” Wilde says.

Vessel No. VI in Bronze

Artist Devin Wilde

To see this and other selected works from the artist, visit devinwilde.com. To shop his works, visit lawsonfenning.com.

Photography provided by Devin Wilde.