Art Studio IIIA - Week 7
Week 7
Clay and firing experiments.
I am experimenting with new clay - primo white stoneware with grog. I am hoping that this clay with grog with withstand the uncontrollable temperatures of trying to fire at home. I have also tried some of the other clay pieces made from the paperclay that I had left over from last year. At the moment I have just been putting the pieces in the fireplace, although I have no idea how hot it actually gets in there! I have washed the pieces after underwater to see if that has any effect, and so far they are all still intact, so it must be hot enough to start the sintering process, although it was hard to see if the clay was a dark red because of the blackening from the flames. I quick google search tell me that pine would burn at around 600c whereas if I had denser wood such as ash or beach it might get to 1000c
The first piece I tried, I didn't let warm up properly, so it exploded in the fire!
The second attempt with the round pot was more successful after a good hour or so warming up. I then retied the strings, once it was out and washed
The effect of firing directly on the flames over the burnished finished created a really lovely black sheen. I did however notice the lack of burnishing on the lid in comparison. Another option that I would like to look into, is tying the vessels with woven flax from the garden rather than the bought garden twine.
Stoneware clay
I made a couple of little bowls form the new stoneware clay, to test in the fire and also experiment with what effects I can get from using plant material and hair next to the clay during the firing process.
Left - hair (literally form my hairbrush!) and right, ferns from the garden. Some patterns emerged. I feel that horsehair would defiantly work better, being much thicker and also with the ferns maybe wrapping the clay more tightly so it leaves an imprint would be more effective?
Making of River Form for Unfired Vessel - test piece
This vessel was made from the stoneware clay with a slab building technique. A shape from a section of the Raumahunga River was cut out of the clay for the base, and then the walls were slab built. I considered making a lid for the vessel and if it was to be placed outside, then I would want the ashes contained and for it to be tied with string or flax to contain the contents.
The idea is that the vessel of unfired clay containing the ashes is placed outside around a tree, and eventually the clay and ashes will break down and become part of the soil and eventually nourish and become part of the tree.
Friday 28th April - Te Papa Visit, Mataaho Collective
Really loved this exhibition with our guide Nina. I think the thing that stood out for me the most was the choice of materials. As Nina explained, its well documented that there is higher percentage of Maori and Pacifica people who work in construction, roading, factory work with typical lower rates of pay. the choice of industrial materials such as strops, high vis tape and reflective road signage was a way of speaking to the contemporary experience, along with connecting the audience with the work and allowing the viewer to find a way in.
Kaokao #1, 2014 - High Vis tape and cotton thread
Foraging for Clay
I am interested to learn how I can incorporate foraged clay into my ceramic work for this project. The idea behind this, being that the urn that I create is made out of materials from place that are important to that person, and links them back to the land and area that they are from.
Wairarapa moana is where we live and a large amount of spare time was spent at the lake and fishing and kayaking in the surrounding waterways, and coastal areas.
Meaning of the name Wairarapa - wai (water); rarapa (glistening). Glistening waters. 'When Hau was the beautiful lake and valley his eyes glistened with delight. The glistening is not only of the water but of his eyes.' A.W Reed, 'The Reed Dictionary of Maori Place Names', Third Edition, 1996, pg 130
Its seems an appropriate place to start with for a person who loved the water and was also known for his glistening eyes.
The lake is amazing at the change of light, with such incredible colours reflected in the lake, so I decided it was a good time to go, forage for clay and spend some time thinking about my person. The process itself is very healing and a lovely way to feel connected to them. Contemporary theory around the phycology of grief describes this as 'Continuing Bonds', and way of continuing a relationship with a deceased loved one. Some of my recent reading has been around this theory.
Collecting Caly and also some driftwood to use in the firing process or as decorative elements to the finished piece.
For this test, I just added additional water to the material until it became workable. It's quite soft to work with, so I wonder how it will work with trying to make a larger structure. This small bowl is just 6cm diameter.
Making Neurons
Part of the work I want to make, explores the grief process itself, focusing on the way that the brain has to make new connections and update its neural map before you can accept the new reality.
I wanted to make some neurons, with the idea that I can connected them together and then cut the connections and make new ones between them, in order to represent the process that is currently taking place in my brain.
For this, I experimented with using wire and rolls of plaster to make something that is lightweight and that can be suspended around the vessel.
At the moment, I can quite happy with how they have turned out. I enjoy the organic, messed nature of the structure with I thing speaks to it being an organic process.
Material choice - Plaster Roll
Aside from being a practical material for this type of construction, I feel that the use of plaster roll is a material that speaks to the process of healing and repair form its traditional use for repairing broken bones. In this instance, instead of being used to heal a visible break, it is being used to heal something that is broken but can't be seen.
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