Austin Coudriet: Agglomeration at Kouri + Corrao Gallery, Santa Fe

Austin Coudriet: Agglomeration is on view at Kouri + Corrao Gallery, Santa Fe

October 25 – December 7, 2024

Contemporary art gallery Kouri + Corrao is delighted up to announce Montana-based ceramist Austin Coudriet’s first solo show with the gallery. “Agglomeration” (meaning a mass or collection of things) highlights ongoing tactile conversations between soft amorphous forms and rigid linear components; functional and non-functional design; as well as what is considered craft and fine art.

“As a child I would draw with my father, an architect,” recalls Coudriet. “I was fascinated by the way he built with lines, they exceeded their boundaries yet were contained by the image they formed, loose but intentional. As my own drawings developed I began to explore three dimensional fabrication. I discovered how working with clay could successfully help me achieve what I was depicting on paper.”

Entering Agglomeration, the viewer first encounters Coudriet’s largest piece in the show – a precisely constructed hodgepodge of every other work in the gallery. From systematically affixed pills and raised regimented stripes to biomorphic protrusions and workshop fixtures, Coudriet flirts with elevating the everyday item while pushing the boundary of clay’s structural integrity. His subtle glaze work pits firm lines and definitive color blocks against fluid curves, ultimately producing poetic movement within a quiet white void.

Moving into the main gallery, the viewer passes by a collection of Coudriet’s oversized geometric mugs. Their over-the-top assembly begs the question of whether the form is actually useful. Furthermore, Coudriet’s meticulous ombre glazing is a testament to his mastery of his preferred medium. Systematically installed on a series of shelves, the mugs become more than vessels to retain liquid, and transform into thought provoking objects, pushing the viewer to question the importance of form over function. Lastly the viewer is confronted with six mid-size sculptures, some resembling reductive household items such as side tables, chairs or bags and the items that accumulate on/in them, while others are purely a glimpse into the artist’s unique presentation of shape, form and color.

“It’s been compelling to see an artist’s constant evolution and thoughtful yet seemingly ad hoc practice build upon and simultaneously, be inspired by it’s own shapes and volumes,” says Kouri + Corrao Director Takeo Royer. “Austin’s functional ceramic furniture pieces push the boundaries of design and reinforce the irreplaceable joys of living with art.”

About Austin Coudriet
Austin Coudriet was born and raised in Lincoln, Nebraska. In 2019 he earned his BFA with a dual emphasis in sculpture and ceramics from the University of Nebraska- Lincoln. There he focused on fabricating large ceramic sculptures and expanding his skills in the wood shop.
Austin is currently a long term artist in residence at the Clay Studio of Missoula located in Missoula, Montana. Here he is able to pursue his passions of teaching, and working as a studio artist. He divides his studio practice between creating large scale sculptures intended for public art installations, furniture like objects and graphic pinch pots.

In 2021 Austin completed a two year residency at the Clay Art Center in Port Chester, New York. There, he helped grow the community studio by: firing kilns, mixing glazes, working in the gallery, running workshops and lectures, and performing routine maintenance on studio equipment. During the start of the pandemic, Austin moved back to Nebraska for six months, where he was offered a fellowship position at the LUX Center for the Arts. Austin helped found a ceramic collective group called Mud Ties in 2019. He is currently leading both the Social Outreach and the Social Media team.

Contact
info@kouricorrao.com

Kouri + Corrao Gallery
3213 Calle Marie
Santa Fe, NM 87507
United States

Images courtesy of the artist and Kouri + Corrao Gallery

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