“It doesn’t matter if you’re a child or a hundred years old – there’s something that I want people to interact with”
Ceramics get a modern day makeover
Grant Levy-Lucero sees ancient Greek and Roman pots as a blueprint. The textbook definition of art. His own ceramics take these as a starting point. They’re witty, and laden with American logos. Bounty, Cookie Crisp and Moon Pie all feature. To create them, the artist uses a traditional coiling technique. This is where you roll out long, snake-like shapes of clay, and then layer them on top of each other to make a vase. After, he adds imagery in bright gloss paint, drawing attention to the bumpy surfaces of the clay. Deliberately naive, the pots also nod to old cartoons from the Looney Tunes e...
Grant Levy-Lucero sees ancient Greek and Roman pots as a blueprint. The textbook definition of art. His own ceramics take these as a starting point. They’re witty, and laden with American logos. Bounty, Cookie Crisp and Moon Pie all feature. To create them, the artist uses a traditional coiling technique. This is where you roll out long, snake-like shapes of clay, and then layer them on top of each other to make a vase. After, he adds imagery in bright gloss paint, drawing attention to the bumpy surfaces of the clay. Deliberately naive, the pots also nod to old cartoons from the Looney Tunes empire.
Levy-Lucero wants his art to connect with people. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a child or a hundred years old – there’s something that I want people to interact with”. In line with this ethos, he even adapts his art depending on where it’s being shown. In Los Angeles, for example, he took inspiration from signs across the city. That way, people who came to see the show could spot elements they recognised. Fun, thoughtful and charming, Levy-Lucero’s pots share modern myths of their own.
Bio
Grant Levy-Lucero (he/him) was born in Los Angeles in 1981, where he continues to live and work.
Practice
Grant Levy-Lucero discovered ceramics thanks to fellow artist Laura Owens, whose studio was next door to his. He continues to work in this medium, despite formerly being known for knitting.
Collaborations
In 2019, the artist partnered with the Swedish fashion label Acne Studios on a capsule collection. The inspiration was American iconography and hand-painted signs across LA.
