Lara Clemenzi '04, is hoping to better understand the figurative, artistic connection between pottery and people by focusing on ancient citizens of the Southwest and the art form of pottery as an Emerson Scholar for 2003. Clemenzi's project, titled "The People in Pots: The Translation of Southwestern Pottery by a Young Woman of the 21st Century," will examine Southwestern pottery and the messages conveyed through southwestern art.
Through the exploration of the pottery's chemical composition, Clemenzi's project will look at the area's resources, and the people's distinct culture as a result of their region. After obtaining solid clay from the area, Clemenzi will work to grind the substance down to a fine, granulated consistency, nearly identical to the clay used by ancient southwestern artists.
Clemenzi plans to conduct on-site research, ideally in New Mexico or Arizona, as well as study historical art collections found in the Smithsonian, the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, and the Peabody Museum at Harvard University to get a better understanding of the art of the region. Throughout her project, Clemenzi hopes to uncover not only the daily functions of Southwestern pottery, but also the history and culture of the artists. Her research, in combination with her efforts to recreate the clay body, slips, and glazes of Southwestern Native Americans both before and after American expansion, will allow her to grasp the semiotics or the "language" and story of the different works of art. Clemenzi says that the final portion of her project will include the creation of her own pieces through the use of her favorite forms and styles of Southwestern pottery. Working with Hamilton Professor of Fine Arts Robert Palusky, her original pieces will tell the story of a 21st century, 21 year-old New England Woman.
A rising senior majoring in American studies, with a minor in studio art at Hamilton, Clemenzi was able to combine her different interests into one project.