To begin a new artwork, Peter Pincus creates a framework to explore various possibilities of form and color.
For A Familiar Kind of Riddle, the work began with the color theories and instructions of artist Sol Lewitt’s Wall Drawings.
A leading voice in the Conceptual Art movement, LeWitt was known for his instructional artworks, allowing others to interpret and create the work.
With these instructions as a point of departure, Pincus created a system that determined the movement of color and value, both horizontally and vertically, while also commenting on porcelain practices by using the traditionally Islamic quatrefoil shape for the tiles.
Working with formulaic color and design patterns allows a space for Pincus to experiment within, blending concept and chance, technique and art history.
“I am eager to acknowledge those who have elevated my thinking through their work, and to consciously engage with influence as a productive, and insightful element of studio practice,” explains Pincus, “[challenging] myself to see new things and to grow.”
Pincus first discovered ceramics in 1998, taking an art course to fulfill a credit obligation in his junior year of high school.
“Prior to that experience, I had no interest in college or anything of that nature,” Pincus admits.
However, once he saw a student working on the potter’s wheel, he says, “I knew instantly that was it. That was what I needed.”
Though his path began with the exploration of form, process, and technique, focusing on porcelain vessels and containers, it matured to include and finally be driven by his diverse research interests.
An interpretation of one of Pincus’ vessel installations, A Familiar Kind of Riddle is a transition into tile, allowing for an expanded scale and format.
Pincus’ studio practice is closely linked to his teaching, revealing, “At the heart of all of this, I am using my work to start to have a better understanding, so that I can better articulate ideas to my students.”
