Giovanni DeFendis
About the Artist
I grew up in California in the central valley throughout Fresno and Kings County constantly surrounded by open spaces dominated by agriculture. One of my earliest memories and exposures to art was tile mosaic murals made by my grandmother. I earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Brigham Young University – Idaho in 2014. I moved to Montana in 2016 in hopes of building my own kiln and spending time with many of the amazing artists located throughout Montana. As well as visiting some of the most respected institutions such as MSU-Bozeman and the Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts. During the summer of 2017, I was able to purchase a number of bricks in Townsend. By fall that same year, my family and I were able to complete the kiln.
Artist Statement
During a lecture at the Portland Art Museum in 2019, Crocker Art Museum Chief Curator Scott Shields had this to say about Diebenkorn’s use of pentimenti: “Diebenkorn liked you to be able to…watch how he worked and retrace his steps…he could have obliterated something that came before but he didn’t, he left it there in part so you could see it. It’s like a working manuscript with lines crossed out and working notes, and he wants you to see the whole process.”
I am also heavily drawn to showing the process of making my art. I find so much fascination in being able to share how I bring my works to life. I try my best to let each piece lead me where it wants to go. I try to be loose and open to the path that the work naturally takes, while keeping in mind what medium I am using, as well as subject matter and influences that are important to me. I want my work to have a sense of movement and fluidity. I don’t want my paintings and drawings to feel stagnant. I want them to have emotion and energy.