Funnel, 1999

Matt Wilt

stoneware, metal

14" H x 8.5" W x 10.5" D

In his artistic practice, Wilt draws inspiration from commodified goods and waste from our contemporary world to create objects of ambiguous use and hybrid forms. These ideas are perfectly represented in this (non-functional) tea pot and stand, composed of varying shapes and textures such as funnels, pipes, spikes, and metal-like sheets, the piece has an industrial grunge vibe that would be the perfect addition to your home or collection. Together, the assemblage urges viewers to pause, reflect, and reconsider our perceptions of objects.

This piece has been professionally repaired at the uppermost joint of the tea pot.

Artist Statement

I strive to combine objects and forms from the diverse culture and society in which I live, the United States of America in the 21st century. Initially, this approach resulted in vessels derived from street trash such as mufflers and styrofoam cups, buoy forms on the Delaware River, and the urban architecture of Philadelphia. I am conscious of the connecting threads that link the many disparate elements of history, culture, and what it is to be human.

Artist Biography

Born and raised in Pennsylvania, Matt Wilt received his Bachelor's degree in Ceramics and Art Education from Penn State University. After completing undergraduate school, Matt worked for two years at Boston Valley Terra Cotta, an architectural terra cotta restoration firm in Buffalo, New York, where he began to work more extensively with plaster molds and imitative glaze surfaces.

Wilt completed his Master of Fine Arts degree at Ohio University, in Athens. He was then awarded The Evelyn Shapiro Foundation Fellowship through The Clay Studio in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. While working as a Resident Artist at The Clay Studio, Matt continued to show nationally and internationally and taught at several universities and art schools, including the University of Pennsylvania, Moore College of Art & Design, and Arcadia University.

Wilt has been the recipient of numerous awards. He has received a Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Grant, an Illinois Arts Council Fellowship, and numerous awards in national juried exhibitions. He has been active as a Visiting Artist at schools such as Syracuse University, Tyler School of Art, Northern Arizona University, and Indiana University. Currently, Area Head of ceramics program at Skidmore College, his work is included in the collections of the DeYoung Museum (San Francisco), The Crocker Museum of Art (Sacramento), The Ceramic Research Center (Arizona State University), and many other public and private collections.

Donated by the Grainer Family.

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