Today, we are exploring the work of internationally recognized artist and ocean advocate, Courtney Mattison. Courtney is renowned for her intricate and large-scale ceramic sculptures that vividly capture the fragile beauty of marine life. With a background in ocean conservation science and policy, Courtney's work is not only visually stunning but also deeply informed and purposeful.

Meet the artist

Courtney Mattison, an artist born and raised in San Francisco, holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in marine ecology and ceramic sculpture. She began her journey at an early age in her hometown, where the ocean always fascinated her. Growing up along the California coast, she loved exploring tide pools and examining the creatures found inside crab traps with her mother. She was particularly captivated by the alien-like marine invertebrates, which seemed so strange yet were right in her backyard.

Mattison believes that being a visual and three-dimensional learner made it natural for her to start sculpting the marine creatures that intrigued her. At around the age of 17, at San Francisco University High School, she started creating ceramic sculptures of marine invertebrates. This early start snowballed into a lifelong passion. After high school, she became scuba certified and immersed herself in marine biology studies in college, even spending a semester on the Great Barrier Reef at James Cook University in Australia.

“I want people to experience what I do while scuba diving on a coral reef — to feel as though they are floating above it, discovering intricate details from every angle,” 

Throughout her education, Mattison continued creating art. She pursued a master’s degree in environmental studies at Brown University, where her thesis involved interviewing marine researchers and artists to explore how art can inspire coral reef conservation. This research was pivotal in launching her career as a full-time artist, aiming to create works that foster a deeper personal connection to the marine environment and inspire conservation efforts.

Her works often juxtapose healthy, vibrant corals with stark, white sections representing bleached corals. This concept, developed during her master’s thesis, aims to visually communicate the impact of climate change. She wanted viewers to immediately understand the transition from healthy to stressed corals due to rising sea temperatures without needing additional explanation. 

“Corals are sculptures, and that’s something I realized when I first went scuba-diving. I found that everything looked very sculptural to me and these animals that are corals are colonial, and by building these giant colonies and communities of different species they are sculpting their environment. That inspired me to create bigger and more complex installations.”

Our Changing Seas III

Courtney Mattison's project, "Our Changing Seas III," represents a pivotal moment in her artistic journey. Completed in 2014, this large-scale ceramic installation marked a shift in her approach, characterized by swirling, anti-gravity forms that evoke motion and dynamism. This work symbolically places coral reefs and marine ecosystems "into the eye of the storm," highlighting their precarious future due to climate change.

The ‘eye of the storm’ accurately describes this piece. A swirling symbol of what fragility could look like if all life followed the path of no change or the trail of bleached and unsupportive skeletons, while also showing what life could look like if change did occur and all that ocean debris was biodiversity - depending on what the viewer chooses to see.

Spanning eight years of her artistic practice, this project is part of Mattison's broader exploration of themes of climate change and coral reef conservation. The ocean serves as a profound muse, revealing a hidden universe that she seeks to bring to the surface through her art. Rather than creating literal representations, she aims to evoke curiosity and wonder, blending real species into fantastical forms that reflect the vibrancy of healthy reef ecosystems.

Conservation

Creating ceramic sculptures consumes substantial energy for firing kilns, powering and ventilating the studio, and transporting the pieces. Courtney Mattison strives to minimize environmental impact by recycling, reducing waste and water usage, purchasing materials in bulk and locally, and only firing kilns when they are full. 

Additionally, she collaborates with conservation organizations like Mission Blue, an initiative by the Sylvia Earle Alliance, founded by renowned oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle. Mission Blue aims to foster a "sea change" in public awareness and support for a global network of marine protected areas, known as Hope Spots. These areas, ranging from the deepest ocean to sunlit reefs and from high seas seamounts to coastal seagrass meadows, are crucial for ocean conservation. Through raising awareness about Hope Spots, Mission Blue encourages actions to explore and protect marine environments.

Conclusion 

Thank you for joining us on this captivating journey into the world of Courtney Mattison. If Courtney's story has sparked your interest, we encourage you to explore her work further and consider how you can contribute to ocean conservation efforts in your own way.  If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and review us on your favorite podcast platform. Thank you for listening!

All images courtesy of Courtney Mattison.

References: 

https://courtneymattison.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHCVUOdIDdY

https://mymodernmet.com/courtney-mattison-gyre-ceramic-installation/?fbclid=PAAaascPEuOflD-0q4_F5lMg0UbvRR41jiom2ZykXmoDdb_njltUMAt9C4-94_aem_ASOvX0En_rHgtPvp-y7EbJmMWAaP75Y1eQIazI37iPiCK8ofWq5kXHbrqUXnV3mVFYY

https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/sylvia-earle#:~:text=Sylvia%20Earle%20holds%20the%20record,for%20ocean%20conservation%20and%20education.