Bronze award at 8th International
Ceramics Competition of Mino
Museum of Modern Ceramic Art
Gifu/J
2008

mystery, passion and sacrifice, 2008 | glazed earthenware | cm 53 x 87 x 99

Jury’s motivation

In Alessandro Neretti triptych of sculptures the observer is struck by the multiple and subtle echoes of ceramics sculpture tradition.
A particularly impressive and unusual triptych, both poetic and sharp.
The powerful and mysterious energy conveyed by these animals without features is hard to ignore; a biting intent characterized  by sharp cuts through the material almost erasing all feelings from the faces of the three main characters.
These figures seem to come out of a comic strip to remind us of the unrelenting flow of time; they lie in their shape, a metaphor of repose, awaiting to be or to become.
The strong recall to the ready-made, so popular today in  contemporary art yet so rarely used in ceramics, together with a serial and kitch production, turn these cuts and the huge “polka dots” decorations into a desecratory project against pre-established schemes.
The predominant figure, the lion, reminds of its use as an architectural ornament in monuments, both western and eastern ones. It symbolizes power, courage and perseverance.
The technology of this artwork, realized with a high-temperature earthenware,  breaks the scheme of the single piece to provoke and prove that it is still possible to create unique artworks using some  serial production techniques.
Neretti’s artwork conveys a sense of constant game, mixing a full historical and neo-gothic awareness with a pop-art atmosphere in harmony with the contemporary drift of current art.