Because I’m not sure yet of the physical material that will best translate my idea, I’ve started with porcelain as my blank canvas, for its potential translucent quality and have been experimenting with marbling effects and creating shapes that eventually are forming (and breaking) around/on the body.
Process of wedging and rolling
Enjoying exploiting the qualities of this very malleable material
After discussing the conceptual idea with Ben he suggested as a start point I research previous representations of impending doom in history(!), such as Galileo, Nostrodamus and Millenarisim. I’m wondering if I eventually want to take it to that kind of slant because I tend to lean more towards acts of empowerment or quiet contemplation rather than something that could be viewed as a sort of defeatism when undertaking such a potentially depressing topic. This theme does have the challenge as my mentor said of trying to ‘write another love song’ in an original way.
He also suggested examining the properties of jewellery and identifying which ones could best serve my project, if in fact there are any and if jewellery is even the right medium, and also to get really clear on what I want the viewer/participant to experience within the installation.
The immediate potential properties are of course the talismanic stemming from the Medieval based on fear, the primitive and trying to prevent the unpreventable through mystical beliefs that an object you wear can have protective power.
After working more with the clay, as a material I feel its nature sits well with sub-themes of fragility of the environment and how can we wear our responsibility in the world, the object and the material. The clay’s ability to be easily and intimately formed around the body can relate to how we are able to closely shoulder the idea of wearing the outfall of our own actions thereby taking personal responsibility for them, as a signifier or as a continuous conscious reminder.
The general fragility and unpredictability of ceramic material feels right at this stage and could thread into exploration around Kintsugi techniques attempting to repair natural cracks and breaks that happen so easily with this medium.
Remembered I had made this bust some years ago, the perfect tool to start forming this medium on
Cracks & breaks making the development more interesting and give opportunities to add my own into the process