Deform to Form

Opening Date: 2002-Sep-20
Closing Date: 2003-Sep-10
This series of 3 major solo exhibitions were the conclusive result following two years of investigation and reassessment of the 'hydro and pyro plasticity' properties of clay in both its malleable and fired states.

Traditionally such properties have been seen as the negative attributes and shortcomings of porcelain clay. I sought to utilise them by taking these natural characteristics and reversing the 'negative' into positive aesthetic qualities in my new work. The exhibitions mark a significant point within a continuing body of research on the reassessment of accepted practices in ceramic making and technology.

In this work I take historical precedent as a starting point and investigate the potential of new expression and forms through the employment of 'reverse process', particularly those processes that may have been rejected by convention for reasons of loss of control, unproductiveness or irrelevance.

The major works undertaken fall into two groups, tall vase forms and low wide platters. Tall forms were thrown on the wheel to the extreme of collapse. These were then hung upside down, stretched, reformed and dried with the aim to capture the dynamics of deformation dictated by the material characteristics of 'hydro' plastic clay. The resultant forms, whilst produced in batch, acquired rippled ribbon-like qualities of a natural and individual character. The large platter was made as an entirely flat disc and glaze fired to a normal porcelain temperature supported upside down, resulting in heavy deformation during firing. The aim was to capture the dynamics of deformation dictated by the material characteristics of 'pyro' plasticity in porcelain clay. The resultant forms when placed the right way up have a fluid undulating surface that again is unique to each piece.

c.70