BioLydia Loy-Santelli was born and raised in a small town on the outskirts of Albany, New York. She spent her childhood playing sports, attending public school and spending as much time as possible outdoors in nature. Lydia also grew up in an artistic household where she was exposed to a creative lifestyle and many hours in galleries and museums. Her grandparents are painters, her father a fine art photographer, and mother a graphic designer and painter.
Lydia’s initial intention was to pursue a career in medicine, which slowly faded when she took several fine art courses at Goucher College and realized how much she genuinely enjoyed the creative arts which inspired her transfer to Maine College of Art in Portland, Maine. Her portfolio consisting of primarily photography, she was surprised how her first ceramics class ended up altering her initial plans and helping her find her love of the medium. Recently within her studio work she has been greatly inspired by the natural world, specifically rock formations, cliff faces, caves, crystals and minerals. She bases her carving decisions off Michelangelo’s idea that each lump of inanimate material is a sculpture waiting to emerge, and the hands are simply the tools used to aid the clay on its journey to it’s finished state. She graduated with her BFA in Ceramics in May 2016 and has plans to work with multiple ceramic artists within the next year as she works toward her goal of being an independent studio potter. |
Artist Statement
Tactile rhythmic patterning, bumpy and soft; colorful dots accent the surface of the rolling hills left from my fingers pinch. The raised textures transform into a type of braille, allowing a sensual knowledge through surface and design to create an intimate interaction, allowing beauty to be seen through the sense of touch. The glaze creating a soft, smooth texture to contrast the clean slip trailing, allowing the colors and patterns to shine through. An unconscious sense of pleasure within your daily routine.
The uniqueness of my pottery comes from immense attention to detail and small surprises hidden within the form and surface. I have been working on pursuing my approach to clay in two different ways, each of which require a different set of considerations while still aiming to express my fascination with texture. My pinch marks and carvings both bring a sense of the organic, natural world into clean and angular elements of design and functionality. |