The Art of Advocacy: Courtney Mattison’s Ceramic Ode to Vanishing Oceans
In an era where climate change often feels abstract, artist Courtney Mattison makes its consequences viscerally tangible—one porcelain coral at a time.
Her monumental ceramic installations, painstakingly assembled from thousands of hand-sculpted marine organisms, are more than aesthetic triumphs; they are ecological elegies. Merging her dual expertise in marine science and ceramic art, Mattison’s work bridges the gap between data and emotion, inviting viewers to confront the fragility of ocean ecosystems through the vulnerable medium of clay.
Born in 1985 and raised along California’s coast, Mattison’s childhood was shaped by tidal rhythms. Peering into crab traps with her mother, she became enthralled by the “otherworldly” forms of marine invertebrates—an obsession that led her to sculpt them in clay by age 17. At Skidmore College, she pursued an unprecedented interdisciplinary degree: marine ecology + ceramic sculpture. Later, her master’s research at Brown University (with coursework at RISD) explored art’s role in coral reef conservation—interviewing scientists and artists alike. “I realized art could translate complex science into something visceral,” she recalls.
A semester at Australia’s James Cook University, diving the Great Barrier Reef, cemented her mission: “Seeing bleaching firsthand, I knew I had to use art to sound the alarm.”
Each of Mattison’s sprawling wall reliefs—some spanning over 20 feet—begins with:
Pinched coils of stoneware or porcelain, hollowed to mimic coral’s delicate structure.
Hand-poked textures: Thousands of tool-made holes replicate coral polyps’ repetitive growth.
Glazes as narrative: Vibrant blues and pinks symbolize thriving reefs; stark white sections evoke bleaching.
Material metaphor: The calcium carbonate in her glazes mirrors the limestone skeletons of real corals—a deliberate parallel. “Porcelain anemone tentacles break as easily as living ones,” Mattison notes. Her work’s vulnerability mirrors reefs’ plight, requiring meticulous handling during installation—a performative echo of conservation efforts.
From the U.S. Embassy in Indonesia to Christian Dior’s Capri boutique, Mattison’s site-specific works merge beauty and advocacy in high-traffic spaces. Her 2015 installation “Our Changing Seas III” (featured at the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art) depicted a thriving reef dissolving into bleached ruin—a visual “before and after.”
Collaborations for Change
Mission Blue: Partnering with Dr. Sylvia Earle’s initiative, Mattison’s art highlights “Hope Spots”—critical marine areas needing protection.
UN Postal Administration: Her design for a 2020 Earth Day stamp disseminated her message globally.
Mindful of her work’s environmental message, Mattison minimizes her studio’s footprint:
Kilns fired only when full to conserve energy.
Clay and water recycled; materials sourced locally.
Collaborations with scientists to ensure ecological accuracy.
“Art about conservation must practice it,” she insists.
Image courtesy of the artist.
“I want viewers to feel wonder first, then responsibility. If my art makes someone pause and rethink their plastic use or carbon footprint, that’s a victory.”
