Before Clay
Vincent Monastero’s first series of sculptures were assembled from found material. Each assemblage embodied the expression of personal experience, but maintained a practice of precision. It was that focus on control which limited the exposure of his hand, leading him to clay.
Reflections on Movement
Shrinking and Sheltering, 2024
Steel, clay brick, stone, wood, and brass
13 1/4 x 13 1/2 x 6 1/2 inches (33.7 x 34.3 x 16.5 cm)
Stuck, 2024
Stone, wood, and brass
6 3/4 x 6 x 11 inches (17.1 x 15.2 x 27.9 cm)
Waiting and Weathering, 2024
Oyster shell, stone, plaster, wood, and stainless steel
8 3/4 x 8 3/4 x 10 1/2 inches (22.2 x 22.2 x 26.7 cm)
A Soft Place to Land, 2024
Stone, tampico fiber, wood, and brass
12 1/2 x 8 x 3 inches (31.8 x 20.3 x 7.6 cm)
Beyond Curiosity, 2024
Steel, stone, wood, and brass
10 3/4 x 10 3/4 x 10 1/2 inches (27.3 x 27.3 x 26.7 cm)
A Light Home, 2024
Stone, asphalt, plaster, wood, and brass
10 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 15 inches (26.7 x 26.7 x 38.1 cm)
Macy’s, Inc.
Prior to developing his art practice, Monastero worked as an industrial designer for private and commercial clients in Canada, the United States, and Italy. This led to a job at the Macy’s headquarters in New York, where he designed for several of their private label brands, including Oake and Hotel Collection.
New York
Upon moving to New York, Vincent’s first project came by way of a commission for a custom chess and furniture set for the newly renovated terrance of a Manhattan Law Firm. Looking to compliment the natural landscaping designed by Nina Kramer Landscape Architecture, Monastero used the surrounding planting, architecture, and work of William Morris to inspire the design of the chess pieces and patterned game board. Both the chess set and the supporting furniture were fabricated locally in New York City by Empire Metal and New York Decks.
TREATY
Following a brief internship at Fabrica, the design research center based in Italy, Vincent partnered with former classmate and designer Matthew Cherkas to form Treaty, an experimental product design studio based in their hometown of Toronto. With collaboration support from photographer Babak Khairi and illustrator Mark O’Brien, they produced a mix of contemporary and surreal objects for the home.
FTSOVJM
Early in his design career, Monastero experimented with furniture and housewares as a medium for self expression under the label FTSOVJM (From the Studio of Vincent Joseph Monastero). This curated selection of work spans a period which began during his undergraduate degree at OCAD University, and ends with his move to New York.
