Red Lodge Clay Center – Short-Term Resident 2024
Marret Metzger was born and raised in Northern Indiana. She received her BFA from Ball State University in 2019, where she concentrated on ceramics, printmaking, and glass. She continued her ceramic education at Indiana University Southeast and finished a one-year post-baccalaureate program in 2021. After relocating to Indianapolis, Indiana, Marret continued developing skills as a production potter for 18 months. In March of 2023, she became a fully self-employed artist. Marret’s work has been juried into numerous Gallery Exhibitions and has sold work all over the United States. She currently keeps an active studio practice in Indianapolis.
As I travel to many locations, the same things astound me and bring me joy. Quiet moments in nature have become something I crave, and the occasional bird sighting or butterfly landing puts me in a state of awe. Nature is so complex, and there is a never-ending number of patterns and colors within it. Many of my favorite memories are of playing in the woods as a kid or traveling and discovering new landscapes and the creatures that inhabit them. I currently create work based on native Indiana plants and pollinators and advocate for their environment and conservation.
The Arts and Crafts Architectural movement, Art Nouveau, woodcut prints, and Tiffany Stain Glass, are a few of my many inspirations. The rural Midwest has a respect for craft, sturdiness, longevity, and a folksy style. My family has a strong entrepreneurial and craft background which is why I am draw to the utilitarian aspect of pottery. My Grandpa was a stone mason, my grandma can tailor any piece of clothing you own and is a master gardener. My Grandmother on my father’s side owned a quilt store, worked as a florist, and decorated wedding cakes. I grew up seeing them almost every day and it was very important to them that my siblings and I knew where our food comes from, and how things are made. Antiquing and flea markets were also a regular occurrence growing up, and my love for all things handcrafted and unique came from these experiences. I love to combine the sturdiness of crockery and folk pottery with a material like porcelain that is often thought of as delicate.
The reductive process of carving to reveal what is underneath is mesmerizing to me and I chose Sgraffito as my main technique. I create with porcelain and black underglaze to reference the paper and ink of a relief print. I then hand paint pigmented glaze onto the piece referencing my love of watercolor and stained glass. Carving leaves a lot of texture behind and adds a tactile experience for the user while also using color to create movement in a composition. I often use color to highlight either the flora or fauna in a particular piece.
I mold a picture-perfect environment for the birds, pollinators, and frogs to bring attention to the small, vulnerable creatures that are observed from a distance or harmed if they are interacted with too closely. I depict these creatures to bring attention to their beauty and fragility so that people might grow to love them and want to care for them. I desire for my art to bring awareness to fragile ecosystems and add depth and beauty to the everyday life of people and their domestic spaces.