Sierra Shostac
Yes, Chef!, 2021
Clay, acrylic paint, super glue, pipe cleaner
3 x 2.5 x 5 inches
Feelin' Funky, 2021
Clay, acrylic paint
3.5 x 5.5 x 2 inches
Sierra the Parrot Kisser, 2021
Clay, acrylic paint, faux eyelashes, super glue
5.5 x 9 x 4.5 inches
Throughout much of my time working in the ceramics studio, I have taken inspiration from a creepy, campy aesthetic. A lot of my work has consisted of creating misshapen baby doll heads from molds or using the classic imagery that one might see in a spooky children’s book. Whenever I show my work to someone new, I always take pride in the visible shock they experience.
Oddly enough, shock is never my main intention when it comes to creating strange and, at times, scary art. For me, this aesthetic is reminiscent of imagery from my childhood. Some of my favorite memories are helping my grandparents set up their haunted house each year for Halloween. I loved the way the inside of their house looked during this season, with all the animatronic monsters and gruesome decor, and I often wished it stayed that way year round.
When I began displaying my artwork, I came to realize that not everyone shares the same feeling of nostalgia when presented with a deformed baby-head lamp shade or a spider-webbed brassiere. I began to look back at old drawings and those that my friends started to share with me throughout this journey. Though most of my artwork consisted of flowers and puppies, others consisted of witches and bats. I realized that, even as I’ve grown older, my art still takes inspiration from childhood memories.
This work expands on the idea of nostalgia and art inspired by childhood. I have especially taken inspiration from the finger puppets I made right before winter break. In that project, I explored a new realm of vibrant color and playful characters that I now want to incorporate into my CAS Project. I took inspiration from 3 different drawings from my childhood and from a couple of my friends’ sketches, and transformed them into physical, fully dimensional, ceramic works. Each piece is inspired by its corresponding drawing, but I adjusted certain features to highlight the medium and my theme. My interpretation of the drawings flowed freely as I worked in order to mimic the carefree mindset of a child.
The series of pieces is displayed with the original drawing. The goal of each ceramic work is not to look pristine and completely overtaken by a more mature viewpoint, but to evoke a perspective, similar to how a child might see it. The pieces are supposed to be playful, kitschy, and maybe even a little bit weird. I am excited to reflect on my own roots of inspiration and pay tribute to the gifts I have received.
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