Meet Marc!
Marc Armitano Domingo uses porcelain as a way to make art that is less ephemeral than musical performance on the Viola da gamba and Pardessus de Viole. At an early age, Marc showed an interest in archeology, ballet, and classical music. He discovered historically informed performance when he looked through the countless recordings of Brandenburg 5 and fixated on the ensembles who used period instruments and aesthetics. His love for craftsmanship was reinforced when he started learning Viola da Gamba, and discovered the heavily ornamented musical instruments of the Renaissance and Baroque. These instruments were created for the amusement of the upper-classes through long lineages of highly skilled craftsmen that progressed their art slowly through time, improving, keeping, or omitting elements of functional design.
Marc pairs his historical passion with love for the natural world that he was brought up in. From the tropical landscapes of Venezuela, where his family is from, to the foothills of California’s Bay Area, where he was raised. In a collaboration between research, design, and fantasy, Marc manages to create timeless pieces that are one of a kind.
The craftsmen’s ability to create these extravagant works out of precious materials stands in complete contrast with the way today’s industries mass produce goods (including luxury goods) out of materials devoid of monetary or cultural value. Today, when mass production and its symptoms reach all corners of the world, Marc looks back at a time when objects weren’t expendable, but instead, physical investments that could be enjoyed through generations, or passed along between collectors of curiosities. Marc’s porcelain works have a functional aspect to them, but could easily be displayed as works of art on their own. Each piece is created entirely by hand, each offering a glimpse into his universe.
