Student work (MA). Below is the brief attached to this project.
"The sculptural ceramics work I have produced previously uses strong narratives and graphic imagery to communicate an idea or a story to the viewer/spectator. Using imagery and clear narratives as the anchor for a lot my work meant that ultimately I controlled a large part of how the viewer sees the work, from the title to the finished piece I am telling the viewer how to interpret it. I was also restricting myself as a maker, in terms of forms I could potentially produce as they had to act not only as a sculpture but as a canvas for the imagery also.
The idea behind this deliberately untitled collection of ceramic forms is to create a dialogue with the viewer/spectator without using graphic imagery or narrative themes. I am using form and surface to engage the viewer, to create a dialogue with that person and allow them to create their own personal/ individual narrative based on how they interpret the work through its aesthetic qualities.
The making process I use is hand coiling over a period of days, the clay bodies I use are varied from White Earthenware to Black Modelling Clay. Each clay body is different, they have to be worked and modelled in a different way to bring out and utilise that particular materials unique qualities. The finished surface is dictated by the form some pieces are pure, showing just the raw naked form. Others have bursts of unusual high opacity dense glazes that could potentially distract, overwhelm or enhance the experience for the viewer.
The intricate ceramic forms I have developed come from a place of (a somewhat liberated) unconsciousness I don’t think about what I am making I just make it. Each form is unique on its own together they are a collection/ a dysfunctional family all different shapes sizes and colours yet they seem to fit together."
Above: Selected images of Ceramic sculptures still being made and unfired.
Above images: Fired pieces featuring a variety of finishes.
Below: Evaluation attached to this collection.
"The work I have produced for Studio Two has an underlined element of pushing boundaries and testing limitations; within not only the materials and processes used but within myself and my technical abilities as a maker. With each piece I felt I learnt something new about the material and began to really refine my craft, for that reason I feel this has been a successful body of work.
I am excited to progress the forms produced into a collection of finalized pieces for the next module. For me each piece individually or as part of a collection has successful qualities that I will expand upon. I believe a strong part of why they seem to work as a “dysfunctional family” (of sorts!) is because they are so different and not uniform. I will expand upon this by increasing the size of some of the pieces whilst also producing small scale pieces. These pieces are intended to be displayed on the floor, so naturally the next logical step is to make very big pieces, however, I think the contrast between large robust pieces and small delicate ones could be quite powerful.
I will also be continuing my experimentations with Jungle Gem and Crystallite glazes, the mixed reactions I have received about the glazes has really intrigued me. I am interested in how unsettling some people have found the introduction of colour and why?
One piece of verbal feedback I received about the glazes has really resonated with me and is something I hadn’t really thought about:
“The white forms have a pureness about them. The use of glazes is almost like a violation of the purity of that form and surface”.
That is an interesting interpretation and something that I will consider when adding colour to future pieces.
To summarize: I will be continuing with my established themes of working/making instinctively and refining the forms developed in Studio Two through the use of colour and increased size. The result of this continued development will be a series of ambiguous forms designed to be displayed together on the floor."
Thanks for taking the time to look at my work ;-)
