Melvino Garretti facts for kids

Melvino Garretti, born in 1946, is an American artist. He creates amazing art using different methods. He works with clay to make pottery, paints colorful pictures, and even performs! His art is known for its cool abstract designs. These often include bright, special shapes and symbols. Melvino was one of the first members of an art group called the Studio Watts Workshop. He also earned a special art degree from the San Francisco Art Institute in 1978.

Early Life and Art Education

Melvino Garretti was born in Los Angeles, California. When he was young, his family moved to a place called Compton. In 1967, Melvino joined the nearby Studio Watts Workshop. He first started as a painter.

The workshop helped him discover ceramics, which is art made from clay. He spent two years working hard at Great Barrington Pottery. This was a pottery shop run by Richard Bennett in Massachusetts. There, Melvino learned Japanese art techniques. He also learned about making pottery and how to use a special wood-burning kiln.

After focusing on ceramics, Garretti moved to San Francisco. He studied painting there under an artist named Julius Hatofsky. This was at the San Francisco Art Institute.

Performance Art

In 1969, Garretti and ten other members from Studio Watts joined a dance group. This group was the San Francisco Dancer's Workshop, led by Anna Halprin. They created a special performance art piece together. It was called Ceremony of Us. This show took place at the Mark Taper Forum in 1969.

Melvino Garretti's Art Style

Garretti's paintings and ceramic works often have unique shapes. You might see spikes, spirals, and jagged edges. He uses paints and glazes in a free, expressive way. This means he applies them with lots of movement and energy.

Melvino Garretti has also made art that looks like human faces. Some are three-dimensional ceramic masks. Others are two-dimensional drawings or paintings of face outlines.

Featured in Magazines

Melvino Garretti's work has been shown in important magazines. The September 2018 issue of Artforum magazine featured a group photo on its front cover. This photo showed the cast of the Ceremony of Us performance, including Melvino Garretti.

The November 2018 issue of Architectural Digest also had an article about a famous art collector. This collector, Eileen Harris Norton, lives in Santa Monica, California. A photo in the article showed one of her art rooms. In this room, a large, colorful jar made by Melvino Garretti was on a table. It was placed next to a painting by Kerry James Marshall and a neon artwork by Glenn Ligon.