Alison Reintjes – Red Lodge Clay Center

Alison ReintjesMissoula, Montana

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I have a strong interest in the basic tenets of the visual experience—shape, space, color, and pattern. In my work, I consistently incorporate precise geometry to make compelling form. However, my approach to functional and sculptural work varies slightly:

With my functional work, articulating a specific use is of secondary importance. I turn the Bauhaus credo on its head to say ‘function follows form.’ There are many instances when commonplace objects are adopted for practical purposes due to their inherent beauty, such as split bamboo used as a serving tray or the hewn beam acting as a bench. Likewise, a person might employ one of my polygon vessels to hold jewelry, while another might drink from it. These vessels embody a strong graphic element that simultaneously accentuates and negates the form, taking advantage of the structure, but working independently of it as well.

My sculptural work references scientific and natural processes as the basis for abstract and formal investigations. Most are shallow spatial compositions that directly engage the wall, like bas relief or murals. The overall structure is composed of modular parts whose final arrangement is determined by the interplay of a repeated form. I believe in letting this arrangement be self-determining through a series of interactions or ‘rules’ such as the inherent constraints of geometry or complex, hierarchical systems. The repetition of shape and color impart a meditative quality and allow the viewer to think or be present in an unattached way that is unconnected to language or representation.