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Fossil Fuels: Courtney Mattison's enormous sculptures that show the plight of the ocean

If there's one thing that should be bugging us the most right now, it's climate change. That's certainly the view of many leading scientists, and it's something Courtney Mattison makes the focus of her work.

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Red glazed stoneware oil drum encrusted with white and cream porcelain coral and sea creatures by Courtney Mattison

The LA-based artist and "ocean advocate" hand-builds enormous and intricate ceramic sculptural installations inspired by the fragile beauty of reefs and the human-caused threats they face. From highlighting our changing seas to the depressing issue of dying coral reefs, she's now drawing our attention to fossil fuels with a clever new series of the same name.

Made out of glazed stoneware and porcelain, the artworks show bits of coral growing out of oil drums to yet again shout about the way climate change is destroying our oceans. Discover more of her eye-opening work at courtneymattison.com.

All images © Courtney Mattison

Red glazed ceramic oil drum with white and grey coral sculptures, sea urchins and starfish protruding from its surface by Courtney Mattison
Red ceramic oil drum with white coral and sea creature forms emerging from it, part of Courtney Mattison's Fossil Fuels series
Red ceramic oil drum encrusted with white glazed coral and sea life forms against a pale background
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