The Thesis Project
I plan to create a series of sculptures constructed from various geometric and organic clay forms. Using various methods, I will rework the surface and shape of these forms to achieve a transformed geometric/organic sculpture that resembles its original state.
Intent and Focus
The idea of alterations is something that has always interested me. In general, we make alterations more often than we might realize. I think as human beings we are extremely susceptible to this need to alter the world around us. People who resist change will alter the things around them, like trimming their nails or mowing the lawn. As ludicrous as it seems, some make these little modifications in order to stay the same (changing to not change). Our appearance, our personal items, our dwellings… Suddenly it is extremely obvious that no matter who we are or what we do, we constantly alter the immediate world that surrounds us. Perhaps it is a distinct human characteristic to change it as we see fit. The concept will be displayed in a series of no less than 15 sculptures indicating how simple forms can be altered, either minimally or drastically, in an attempt to improve their visual effect.
An observation I've made since concocting this project is that it seems as if the main driving force of this need to alter is for the sole purpose of ones aesthetic preferences. As I work on this project, I plan to explore this notion further and discuss its validity with peers and professors.
Problem/Issue to Be Explored
The goal of this project is to make a series of work exploring the idea that alteration makes things more interesting or desirable. It will necessitate the use of intuition and the understanding of formal concerns and basic artistic principles (line, shape, unity, balance, etc.) in order to be successful. Making these variations can change the appearance for the better or worse and it will be imperative to identify this occurrence. The purpose is to create forms that are enhanced by this activity.
Significance and Reason for Choosing this Project
We live in a world that is extremely complicated and complex and I find that there is beauty in art that contrasts these stimuli. I chose to use geometric forms for their simplicity. This simplicity will allow me to articulate the concept by way of scattering and shifting of mass, surface treatment and texture; and for the viewer to recognize the transformation that the alteration inspires.
Technical Issues:
Visual and Intellectual Resources for Directing the Development of the Project
I am inspired by the alterations that are inherent to the ceramic process in tile making, casting, and cutting/arranging clay forms. Artists like Teo Huey Ling, Michael Geertsen, Mika Negishi Laidlaw, and Zachary Eastwood-Bloom will inform my exploration. I have been reading and researching sources on the psychology and philosophy of change and alteration in order to further my understanding of the phenomenon of alterations. I will continue to add artists/thinkers to my list as I move forward with this project.
I plan to create a series of sculptures constructed from various geometric and organic clay forms. Using various methods, I will rework the surface and shape of these forms to achieve a transformed geometric/organic sculpture that resembles its original state.
Intent and Focus
The idea of alterations is something that has always interested me. In general, we make alterations more often than we might realize. I think as human beings we are extremely susceptible to this need to alter the world around us. People who resist change will alter the things around them, like trimming their nails or mowing the lawn. As ludicrous as it seems, some make these little modifications in order to stay the same (changing to not change). Our appearance, our personal items, our dwellings… Suddenly it is extremely obvious that no matter who we are or what we do, we constantly alter the immediate world that surrounds us. Perhaps it is a distinct human characteristic to change it as we see fit. The concept will be displayed in a series of no less than 15 sculptures indicating how simple forms can be altered, either minimally or drastically, in an attempt to improve their visual effect.
An observation I've made since concocting this project is that it seems as if the main driving force of this need to alter is for the sole purpose of ones aesthetic preferences. As I work on this project, I plan to explore this notion further and discuss its validity with peers and professors.
Problem/Issue to Be Explored
The goal of this project is to make a series of work exploring the idea that alteration makes things more interesting or desirable. It will necessitate the use of intuition and the understanding of formal concerns and basic artistic principles (line, shape, unity, balance, etc.) in order to be successful. Making these variations can change the appearance for the better or worse and it will be imperative to identify this occurrence. The purpose is to create forms that are enhanced by this activity.
Significance and Reason for Choosing this Project
We live in a world that is extremely complicated and complex and I find that there is beauty in art that contrasts these stimuli. I chose to use geometric forms for their simplicity. This simplicity will allow me to articulate the concept by way of scattering and shifting of mass, surface treatment and texture; and for the viewer to recognize the transformation that the alteration inspires.
Technical Issues:
Visual and Intellectual Resources for Directing the Development of the Project
I am inspired by the alterations that are inherent to the ceramic process in tile making, casting, and cutting/arranging clay forms. Artists like Teo Huey Ling, Michael Geertsen, Mika Negishi Laidlaw, and Zachary Eastwood-Bloom will inform my exploration. I have been reading and researching sources on the psychology and philosophy of change and alteration in order to further my understanding of the phenomenon of alterations. I will continue to add artists/thinkers to my list as I move forward with this project.
Challenges and Obstacles
While an idea may be sketched on paper, the end result of these sculptures can never be fully predicted because the techniques in their creation can yield uncertain results. However, with a basic idea and keeping things like proportions and balance in mind, the process can create visually interesting forms and shapes that could not otherwise be invented. The project is inspired by the notion of alteration. I will change the form when I feel it could be enhanced, visually improved, more interesting or when a previous alteration is not working. It is simply a matter of identifying when and where an modification is necessary to remedy the issue and move forward.
Technically speaking, I have had issues with wire cutters essentially destroying the clay forms that I am trying to cut through. Realizing that technical issues like this may happen, it may take time to perfect the techniques I will explore. For example: Forms larger than twelve inches may prove difficult or impossible to handle due to their weight and malleability. If this is the case, I will make maquettes and reconstruct them in the appropriate scale using alternate methods.
Number, Scale, Medium
Seven small-scale sculptures, 12” – 14”, Neutral colored stoneware
Five medium-scale, 18” – 20”, Neutral colored stoneware
Three large-scale, 24” – 26”, Neutral colored stoneware
Personal Time-line
While an idea may be sketched on paper, the end result of these sculptures can never be fully predicted because the techniques in their creation can yield uncertain results. However, with a basic idea and keeping things like proportions and balance in mind, the process can create visually interesting forms and shapes that could not otherwise be invented. The project is inspired by the notion of alteration. I will change the form when I feel it could be enhanced, visually improved, more interesting or when a previous alteration is not working. It is simply a matter of identifying when and where an modification is necessary to remedy the issue and move forward.
Technically speaking, I have had issues with wire cutters essentially destroying the clay forms that I am trying to cut through. Realizing that technical issues like this may happen, it may take time to perfect the techniques I will explore. For example: Forms larger than twelve inches may prove difficult or impossible to handle due to their weight and malleability. If this is the case, I will make maquettes and reconstruct them in the appropriate scale using alternate methods.
Number, Scale, Medium
Seven small-scale sculptures, 12” – 14”, Neutral colored stoneware
Five medium-scale, 18” – 20”, Neutral colored stoneware
Three large-scale, 24” – 26”, Neutral colored stoneware
Personal Time-line
Fall 2011
Week 1: Proposal Week 2: Proposal Week 3: Sculptures 1 and 2 completed Week 4: Sculptures 3 and 4 completed Week 5: Sculptures 5 and 6 completed Week 6: Sculpture 7 completed in clay. Week 7: Fire and work on bases. Week 8: Work on bases for sculptures Week 9: Sculpture 8 completed in clay Week 10: Sculpture 9 completed in clay Week 11: Prepare studio for break Christmas Break: Complete 10 & 11 at home. |
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Prediction
I predict the most significant affect this experience will have is in the way I understand clay and the formal elements of composition. I also hope to gain from the completion of a thesis in conjunction with a sustained body of work. I have never worked on anything this extensive and the opportunity should allow me to examine and test my ideas in a much deeper way. Remaining focused on a single idea for a prolonged period of time will be a completely new challenge that I welcome. I also think that, after starting work on this project, I will develop more interesting ways to exhibit my thoughts and ideas.
From this experience, I hope to take a better understanding of ways to develop a body of work, a more disciplined studio work ethic, experience in a sustained and substantial body of work and the opportunity to try new things that I would not otherwise have tried.
I predict the most significant affect this experience will have is in the way I understand clay and the formal elements of composition. I also hope to gain from the completion of a thesis in conjunction with a sustained body of work. I have never worked on anything this extensive and the opportunity should allow me to examine and test my ideas in a much deeper way. Remaining focused on a single idea for a prolonged period of time will be a completely new challenge that I welcome. I also think that, after starting work on this project, I will develop more interesting ways to exhibit my thoughts and ideas.
From this experience, I hope to take a better understanding of ways to develop a body of work, a more disciplined studio work ethic, experience in a sustained and substantial body of work and the opportunity to try new things that I would not otherwise have tried.
Progress...
The last few months I have been working diligently on my series. So far I have completed nine sculptures that range in sizes from 9" - 14". I had many technical difficulties during Fall term that have since been corrected either by a certain level of mastery or an alteration in process.
My process entailed building geometric forms out of solid, malleable clay, cutting them up, hollowing them out (for firing considerations) and arranging them in different configurations. I would cut the clay forms by steadying them on a bed a foam, so they would not move, and then use a wire cutter along a guide to cut a straight line through the entire solid form. The impetus for building from solid clay was to make sure the geometric form was as perfect as possible and ensured that I wouldn't have to reconstruct an connecting walls from the shifting mass. My interest began from working with the simplest of forms, and any deviation from the form was distracting. I also wanted to achieve a certain technical feat by making the forms as perfect as possible. I was very happy with my creations, but as I continued to work, I ran into a few problems.
On a positive note, the process yielded a unique result each time I made a new sculpture that would be difficult, even for me, to replicate. The forms themselves were interesting enough, but the technical mastery of the medium was not quite up to par with what the project required. Even though I spent countless hours making sure each plane was flat, every joinery was solid, and every divot and fingernail mark removed, there were many imperfections that distracted from the smooth, geometric surfaces. Furthermore, the excessive cutting and shifting of mass within the sculpture caused many hairline cracks where the pieces were joined together. Even though I took great care in putting the pieces back together and drying them slowly so that the stress from shrinkage was reduces and much as possible, I still had many problems with cracking.
The problems lay in the process. Building with solid clay until the final form was achieved, then hollowing out the insides was causing me to handle the sculpture so much that in building it, I was simultaneously destroying it. There simply was not enough time to correct all the mistakes in the process. It quickly became apparent that I would either need to get a lot better, and fast, or change my method. I found the solution by altering my process.
At the end of Fall term, it was unanimously decided by my BFA Committee that something needed to be changed. My process was not yielding the results I wanted and therefore my grade was impacted. After recovering from the fear of the possibility of being asked to leave the BFA program, I regrouped and reformulated my process. This term, instead of hand-building the forms, I was going to cast them.
Slip casting as a process in which a mold is made from plaster and an exact copy of whatever you molded can be made from ceramic material. The plaster mold is made in two or more pieces so that casting can be de-molded and reused to make duplicates. For an instructional video on how I made a plaster mold, click here. For further instructions on how a slip casting mold is used, click here.
I am now in the process of making my sculptures from molded pieces rather than hand built forms. I have two finished and ready to fire and am working on the third and fourth, increasing the complexity and size as I go. My last sculpture was easily made to stand 16" tall, and my next I'm estimating to be at least 18". The sculptures are still well within the realm of my original proposal and are much higher quality in their execution.
The next step in my process is to experiment with surface texture and color. I had proposed to just make these neutral colored sculptures, but time permitting, I wanted to be able to experiment with surface treatments that align themselves with my concept of alteration.
Photos coming soon.
My process entailed building geometric forms out of solid, malleable clay, cutting them up, hollowing them out (for firing considerations) and arranging them in different configurations. I would cut the clay forms by steadying them on a bed a foam, so they would not move, and then use a wire cutter along a guide to cut a straight line through the entire solid form. The impetus for building from solid clay was to make sure the geometric form was as perfect as possible and ensured that I wouldn't have to reconstruct an connecting walls from the shifting mass. My interest began from working with the simplest of forms, and any deviation from the form was distracting. I also wanted to achieve a certain technical feat by making the forms as perfect as possible. I was very happy with my creations, but as I continued to work, I ran into a few problems.
On a positive note, the process yielded a unique result each time I made a new sculpture that would be difficult, even for me, to replicate. The forms themselves were interesting enough, but the technical mastery of the medium was not quite up to par with what the project required. Even though I spent countless hours making sure each plane was flat, every joinery was solid, and every divot and fingernail mark removed, there were many imperfections that distracted from the smooth, geometric surfaces. Furthermore, the excessive cutting and shifting of mass within the sculpture caused many hairline cracks where the pieces were joined together. Even though I took great care in putting the pieces back together and drying them slowly so that the stress from shrinkage was reduces and much as possible, I still had many problems with cracking.
The problems lay in the process. Building with solid clay until the final form was achieved, then hollowing out the insides was causing me to handle the sculpture so much that in building it, I was simultaneously destroying it. There simply was not enough time to correct all the mistakes in the process. It quickly became apparent that I would either need to get a lot better, and fast, or change my method. I found the solution by altering my process.
At the end of Fall term, it was unanimously decided by my BFA Committee that something needed to be changed. My process was not yielding the results I wanted and therefore my grade was impacted. After recovering from the fear of the possibility of being asked to leave the BFA program, I regrouped and reformulated my process. This term, instead of hand-building the forms, I was going to cast them.
Slip casting as a process in which a mold is made from plaster and an exact copy of whatever you molded can be made from ceramic material. The plaster mold is made in two or more pieces so that casting can be de-molded and reused to make duplicates. For an instructional video on how I made a plaster mold, click here. For further instructions on how a slip casting mold is used, click here.
I am now in the process of making my sculptures from molded pieces rather than hand built forms. I have two finished and ready to fire and am working on the third and fourth, increasing the complexity and size as I go. My last sculpture was easily made to stand 16" tall, and my next I'm estimating to be at least 18". The sculptures are still well within the realm of my original proposal and are much higher quality in their execution.
The next step in my process is to experiment with surface texture and color. I had proposed to just make these neutral colored sculptures, but time permitting, I wanted to be able to experiment with surface treatments that align themselves with my concept of alteration.
Photos coming soon.
More Progress...
I ended up calling the thesis "Reconstructions." I struggled with what to call it, but finally decided on this title due to both its descriptive and ambiguous nature. Here are the slides of my finished work... I think it would be worthy to note that several of my sculptures broke right before the show, including my biggest work which was over 36" tall, which broke on its way up to the gallery. I was so mad that I threw it into the dumpster after showing it to the committee. Here is what survived:
Final Slides
Thesis Paper: "Reconstructions"
Introduction
As human beings, we exist in a perpetual state of change. We display a strong desire to change and alter the things that surround us. Whether it is for functional purposes or aesthetic pleasure, we continuously want to adjust our surroundings and the things in it. This constant need to alter affects us in a profound way. It exists both on the grand scale and insignificantly. It is perhaps also paradoxically present. One could imagine an environment to exist in a constant state of change while attempting to remain visibly unchanged. An example of this is a landscaped yard. The intent is to keep this space the same; but in order to do so, an unending state of alterations is necessary (weeding, trimming, etcetera). This is an observation that that I found particularly stimulating. I wanted to create a body of work that reflected my interest in this universal drive to alter.
Mary Engelbreit once said, “If you don’t like something, change it…” People have many reasons for modifying their environment, but two things seem to be constant factors: visual interest and function. My work attempts to display the way in which participation in this act of revision, minimal or drastic, can take a simple geometric sculpture, alter it, and improve its visual interest; therefore improving upon its function as a piece of art. If art, in general, functions as a means to experience visual interest, then it is arguable that a more interesting object functions better than a less interesting object.
It is important to note that the experience and participation in modification is personal and subjective. As the saying goes, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” An alteration by one is not necessarily an improvement for all. Therefore, my work does not claim to universally improve the visual impact of geometric forms, but merely represents possible outcomes.
Initially, my interests were purely formal. I was not interested in a body of work that questioned or offered conceptual information to the viewer. I simply wanted to use this idea as a catalyst for a series of work that, in some way, abstractly represented the concept. A theme that I wanted to remain consistent throughout was the idea that one could imagine that the pieces in a single sculpture could be mentally reconstructed to form the original geometric shape; like a puzzle. As the project progressed, the concept became increasingly important, however, I do not expect the viewer to be able to glean content from this series.
Exhibition Description
A smooth white sphere, approximately six inches in diameter, is cut by two parallel planes. Each piece is shifted along the plane and reattached, elongating the form. The disc shape remains in the middle, and the two semi-sphere on either end. Visually, one could imagine sliding the pieces back together in the same fashion as closing a hand of cards. The segmented sphere rests atop a metal rod which extends approximately six inches from the brown patina that covers the metal base. In visual weight, the sculpture and base are matched. The title of the piece is Geometric Alteration: Spherical Form #3.
Similarly, another spherical form with an additional cut that runs perpendicular to the first two, Geometric Alteration: Spherical Form #4, rests a little lower to its brown patina base. The color of the base is predominantly dark brown with areas of natural rust that intermittently shows through.
A tan sphere, with suggestions of a neutralized orange color throughout, approximately seven inches in diameter, is cut in half. From one half, an additional wedge is cut resembling approximately the proportion of an orange slice. The three pieces are arranged, elongating the form, with the smallest piece in the middle and the larger pieces on the top and bottom. The hemisphere displays a rough texture with varying tool marks while the other two pieces maintain a softer texture that is more uniform. This piece is called Geometric Alteration: Spherical Form #1.
Another orange sphere, the same size as Geometric Abstraction: Sphere #3, is cut into five varying pieces. They are all arranged, stacked on top of each other, to form an elongated piece that stretches just beyond two feet. The color is also the same tan/neutralized orange as before, with the same subtle textures. This piece is titled Geometric Alteration: Spherical Form #2.
Geometric Alteration: Rectilinear Form #1, #2, #3, and #4 are all made from the same three shapes, only arranged in different configurations. Geometric Alteration: Rectilinear Form #2 has three pieces arranged with the largest on top supported by two smaller rectilinear forms on the bottom. Number three in the series is just the opposite; the large movement is on the bottom with two rectilinear forms resting on top. The clay body is white coated with boiled linseed oil that gives it an off-white coloration.
Geometric Alteration: Rectilinear Form #1 is also made from the same three shapes as number two three, only they are arranged so that each is stacked on top of each other. The whole sculpture is then tilted on the corner of the largest movement and secured to a metal base to remain balanced on its corner.
Geometric Alteration: Rectilinear Form #4 is made from a total of five rectilinear shapes. They are all stacked on top of each other to make a taller sculpture reaching approximately twenty-two inches. The top and bottom rectangles have been textured with a stripe pattern that runs horizontally along the form. The rest of the piece remains smooth. There is a hole in the middle shape that was created from the pour spout of the plaster mold. It was intentionally left as both a compositional element and to indicate the process in which the sculpture was made.
The next piece, Geometric Alteration: Rectilinear Form #5, was hand-built from an elongated rectilinear form approximately fourteen inches long and five inches square. It was cut in various places to make six unique shapes. The shapes were then stacked on top of each other to reach a length of approximately twenty four inches. The whole thing is secured on a metal base. The texture, unlike the other sculptures, is very rough throughout.
Description and Reflection of the Process
I began each sculpture with a complete geometric form from which to make alterations. I was intent on starting with complete forms because it was important for the final sculpture be the actual record of some modification. It did not make sense for me to merely mimic the appearance of an altered sculpture, even if that meant it would be easier to construct. That seemed dishonest. The final sculpture needed to be real, not faked to look like an alteration had taken place. The act of manipulating the form was equally important as the final product. I want my work to reflect a genuine curiosity of the fundamental human characteristic that I have observed of the human desire to change things.
Throughout the year, my process changed as I encountered obstacles and challenges and experimented with different styles and techniques. I began by sculpting solid clay shapes that would eventually be hollowed out. The next process was a mold-making and slip-casting endeavor. I also attempted a wheel thrown piece to achieve a cylindrical shape. I finished the body of work by employing a combination of press-molding and hand-building.
Selecting the clay bodies and surface treatments was relatively trivial when bearing in mind the final product. However, certain considerations were made regarding the color and properties of the clay since I decided this series would pay special attention to form. I selected clay bodies that would not distract from this by keeping them simple. I discarded any planned surface treatment because I did not want surfaces to distract from the final form. I selected various neutral colored clay bodies that I felt would achieve a visually pleasing quality when left bare. These included off-white, neutral-orange and dark-brown stoneware bodies that were fired to maturity in an electric kiln.[i] I also used a pure white slip that was used in the cast sculptures.
I started the year by sculpting geometric forms by hand from solid clay. Using a wire clay cutter and guide that I had engineered, I was able to cut straight lines through the mass of the solid wet clay, shifting the resulting pieces and arranging them into new sculptures. This process involved hollowing out the numerous pieces without taking any clay from the surface. The goal was to retain the appearance that the form was solid while reducing the mass inside.
The second process I used was mold-making and slip-casting. Slip-casting is a commercial technique in which liquefied clay (slip) is poured into a plaster mold. This process can produce multiple copies of the original object, and was therefore useful in making sculptures that utilized the same form, but with different outcomes. The downside of slip casting is that the casts are hollow with very thin walls. I foresaw some difficulties manipulating these thin walls of clay so I tried to think of ways I could alter the process of pouring the molds, making the alteration before the slip is poured.
After some research, I found some instructional videos on YouTube of people who had experimented with alternate ways of slip-casting. They employed a technique that allowed variations of a mug to be made by rearranging the pieces of the plaster mold. I spent some time in the beginning of Winter Term experimenting with this idea and adapted a new way to slip cast based on a method of slip casting mugs as seen in a video by John Britt Pottery. My goal was to engineer a method of arranging the pieces of the plaster mold, rather than casting individual pieces of a sculpture and attaching them after the fact. The idea would have been promising for smaller works, but it did not have a feasible application in the scale that I was working in (the amount of slip required to pour a mold of this size would have been in the hundreds of pounds). However, a feasible alternative did arise from this experimentation. Instead of trying to cast the entire sculpture in one piece, I proposed to cast the sculptures in three pieces. This allowed me to make multiple sculptures from the same basic shapes. However, before this process could start, I first had to make the plaster molds.
The molds I created were made from a particular type of pottery plaster that is very firm, but can absorb large amounts of water. I started by sculpting a rectilinear form, approximately sixteen inches high, from reclaimed clay.[ii] I used plywood screwed together at 90o angles to make straight lines and corners. I dissected the form into three segments, following a style I had begun to develop of cutting straight lines through the object and shifting its mass along the flat plane; either vertically or horizontally. Then I covered each of the pieces with several layers of mold soap, a releasing agent, so that when the plaster is poured over it, the clay can easily be removed and discarded. A coddle[iii] is then made from plywood to contain the wet plaster. Once the plaster is mixed and poured, it must be left to dry (drying times vary from a few hours to overnight). A pour spout is then cut into the plaster to allow slip to be poured in and out. The mold is then put together, secured with rubber bands and filled with slip. The water from the slip is drawn into the plaster, leaving behind a film of clay. As more water is drawn into the walls of the mold, the clay thickens until it is sold. It will continue to increase in thickness until the excess is poured out. The mold is then left to dry until the clay is at a soft/leather-hard state.[iv]
I made enough casts to build four different sculptures from the same rectilinear form. In addition, I was able to create a few experimental pieces, but they did not align with my original concept. I discarded the work from my core series.
The last technique I used was a combination of press-molding and hand building. I cast a hemisphere in plaster and pressed solid clay into it. Joining two or more parts of a press mold together makes a complete form. For example, a sphere is made by press-molding two hollow hemispheres and then joining them together. I continued to use the press molds through Spring Term thereby hand-building the final pieces.
Throughout the year, I was also working on a series of metal bases for some of the sculptures. With the help of my father, I cut, welded and sanded the bases to provide a foundation to support the spherical, and some of the rectilinear, sculptures. Even though the purpose of the bases is functional, I wanted them to compliment the sculpture while remaining as visually minimal as possible. After the bases and sculptures were complete, I used an industrial adhesive (PC-7) to affix the two together. The impetus for placing certain sculptures on a base came from my interest in viewing the complete form. I want the viewer to be able to see the form from all sides. If the sculpture is resting on a pedestal, the view is partially obstructed. By elevating the sculpture on a metal rod, the viewer is able to get a better sense of the entire form. I wanted to call special attention to the form by giving it a space to exist. “A work of art is situated in space. But it will not do to say it simply exists in space: a work of art treats space according to its own needs, defines space and even creates such space as may be necessary to it” (Focillon 65).
Technical Issues
One of the things I discovered is that working in clay is sometimes an engineering trial. When challenged, engineering my own tools helped me to solve problems and improve technique. Last year I built an armature to hold a wire clay cutter, a tool that usually requires both hands, so that I could free my other hand to stabilize what I was cutting through. I was able to use this tool continually throughout this series, with the use of a guide, to cut straight lines through my geometric forms.
Some issues that I faced came from the difficulty in getting smooth, flat planes with perfect edges using a soft and malleable material. Some were a matter of technique, and some were a matter of skill. As I worked, it became clear that I needed to change my approach to achieve the results that I wanted.
The first challenge I faced dealt with the solid clay forms. The reason for working with solid forms may seem bothersome or inconvenient, but it was important for the process. The kinds of alterations I was making to the form involved cutting straight lines through the forms at various places and shifting their mass on the flush planes it created. Imagine a hollow sphere is cut in half resulting in two hollow hemispheres; shells. To reattach the shells in any other place, other than its original orientation, there would be (almost) nothing to attach it to; the space inside is empty. Hypothetically, if the two halves were secured, there is still the problem of the two gaping holes that must be filled to create a complete form. Now imagine a solid sphere is cut in half. Since the sphere has mass throughout, there is plenty of surface area to reattach the hemispheres. Also, there are no holes to fill. As long as the initial cut through the sphere is flat and smooth, there is little to fix. This is the reason why building solid was a necessity. It remained true to the original form in its entirety – nothing added, nothing subtracted. It is an honest exercise in taking a geometric form and altering it.
Though I was working with solid clay, I did not intend to leave them solid as this would cause a firing[v] issue. Ordinarily, a ceramist would build hollow because thick clay has the potential for hidden air pockets to cause the work to explode in the kiln. To avoid this, I planned on hollowing out the forms after I had altered them, but the initial weight of the solid clay created a problem. They were too heavy and difficult to handle; something I did not expect. Since my first pieces were to be twelve to fourteen inches long, I needed to start with a basic form about the same size in order to achieve my final height requirement. What I did not realize from the beginning was that a simple sphere, just nine inches in diameter, was about twenty pounds of wet, malleable clay. When I began to work with it, it was heavy and awkward to handle which resulted in misshapen forms. While I was building, the weight of the wet clay caused my fingers to make indentations into the clay. It was necessary to handle the forms due to the fact that I was building intuitively and needed to look at the form from all sides continuously. This ate up a huge amount of time. Each time a plane was deformed, I would spend a great deal of time fixing it, which would often cause even more distortions.
To combat the issue of deforming shapes, I allowed the clay to firm up by letting it dry. As wet clay dries, its ability to retain its shape improves, however the trade-off is the clay also stiffens, making it difficult to run a wire cutter through. If the previous pieces were nine inches thick and difficult to cut at this dryer stage, I knew the larger pieces would be even more challenging. To achieve the larger pieces, I chose to change my method from hand-building to slip casting. This, I felt, would alleviate the issues I experienced with the first solid-built forms.
I spent most of Winter Term experimenting and working with slip-casting, only to realize that it had not really offered me anything more than hand-building. In the last weeks of the term, I stopped pouring casts and attempted a few more pieces built with solid clay. One of the reasons I stopped hand-building was because of a confidence issue. I felt that my skills were not good enough. Moving forward with hand-building was, in part, due to a newfound confidence I had in myself. It was also, in part, due to a newfound tool that I had not previously employed.
The tool that was a tremendous help was the press-mold. Previously, I had been forming geometric shapes by hand, spending large amounts of time making them visibly perfect. With the use of a press-mold, I was able to easily and quickly achieve geometric shapes by pressing clay into the pre-made mold, knowing that when I removed the clay, it would retain its geometric qualities. The clay would also be easier to handle because plaster is a material that absorbs water thereby drying the surface of the clay where contact is made.
Using the press-mold and slab-built structures, I was able to achieve larger structures. The first piece I fired in Spring Term, also the largest I have attempted thus far, cracked in three places at the base of the sculpture. Though the building method is improved, it caused an issue in the kiln. The new problem was the weight of the clay was too much to be supported by the thin walls with which I had now become accustom to building. The final solution to my problems was to fire the pieces of the sculptures separately and attach them afterwards. Another solution would have been to use internal support structures, but I chose to fire the pieces separately as the scale of these sculptures were becoming difficult to fire in our smaller electric kilns.
Visual and Intellectual Research Findings
I was inspired by a lot of different artists, many in the field of ceramics. However, the idea for this proposal was sparked from a curiosity in my own mind, and I later found artists that had also experimented in something similar. As my initial idea was developing, I searched for artists who had done similar things or things I found interesting. I looked through a few ceramic reference books in the library, but ultimately a Google Image search was what provided me with material to draw further inspiration from. I found the following artists: Teo Huey Ling, Michael Geertsen, Mika Negishi Laidlaw, and Zachary Eastwood-Bloom. Following the image search, I researched each artist and read their artist and process statements if one could be found.
Ling’s work (see Fig. 1) provided a multitude of inspiration to draw from. Not only did I find her work fascinating, she has an intriguing way of mixing materials and processes that I have since drawn from. She speaks about her work titled Stacked:
"This work was a reference to the house that I lived in, 'cube stacked high into the air' – the HDB flats. The cubes were slip cast and altered, stain colored, glazed and Raku fired; their materials were stoneware bone china, a bit of wood and felt. Just like Rojak, our local favorite food, I preferred to use a variety of techniques and materials in my art because of a consciousness to our multifaceted nation. I enjoyed experimenting with the different techniques, stacking and balancing the precarious cubes, finally presenting the work as a search for identity through all these processes. I was interested in how she related cubes and abstract geometric elements to architecture, using varying methods and alterations to convey the diversity of what surrounds us."
Another artist I drew from was Zachary Eastwood-Bloom (see Fig. 2). His work, similar to Ling’s, features varying alterations of a basic geometric shape, resembling architectural structures. Not only is the craftsmanship admirable, but also there is something interesting about the process of trying to figure out what his work is trying to convey. For me, it was a process of recognizing similarity and trying to figure out a connection. The work is non-objective, so the message is ambiguous. I enjoy these kinds of work that have the ability to catch your attention for more than a moment to admire the craftsmanship. This was something I attempted to achieve with my work; a moment to admire a technical feat, and then something extra to try and make connections. The meaning behind it may never be known, but that is what I feel makes a work great as opposed to good. A quote from his artist statement provided me with insight into what I want my work to convey:
Everything that has a high aesthetic and/or functional value and/or cultural value:
products, objects, works, ideas and experiences that present a high degree of quality, innovation, research and sustainability. Something capable of improving people’s experience, at the practical and/or emotional level, and if possible the world in which we live, is necessary. Being necessary is not a question of price: it can be cheap or expensive (Eastwood-Bloom).
Above all else, I just want to make something that has value. I want my work to be validated by being seen and enjoyed. It does not necessarily matter to me that someone “gets” my work, it just matters that they enjoy looking at it. If it is not an enjoyable experience, then I have failed as an artist.
Conclusion
My biggest realization from this project is that clay, though extremely versatile, is not always the appropriate material for every idea that comes along. For my original ideas, I needed a material that was workable, like clay, but rigid and forgiving, unlike clay. I was perhaps in a constant state of denial after the realization that a better suited material for this project would have been wood or metal. I kept working, but I was trying to force a perception that if I worked long enough, or found the right technique, I could make clay forms have perfect edges and flat planes despite the multitude of handling and cutting that took place on its soft and fragile body. The task was not impossible, but it was extremely time-consuming and challenging, especially considering the scale. However, I felt that I must continue with the task at hand, despite my failures, because it was what I set out to do and I was determined to accomplish my goals.
The hardest part of this series was to finally accept and work with the natural properties of the clay. It is evident that the beginning works are not as strong as some of the later works. This is because I was working against the clays inherent properties. Clay is a material that is very fluid, textured and fragile. To try and force this material into perfect geometric shapes with crisp delineated lines was a mistake. This is evident by the areas in my works that should be perfect straight lines, but are lacking in quality. This is not because I did not spend time trying to make them perfect, it was my best effort to get them the way they are now. The fault lay in my expectation of clay, not the clay itself.
Despite the downfalls, it would not be true to say that I failed at my ambitions. From this body of work came many learning opportunities, such as developed skills in mold-making, press-molding, problem-solving and experience in an extended body of work. I also created the opportunity to work with metal, a material I have yet to try. Most importantly, I have developed a better sense of how I work independently and formulated many ideas for future series.
As human beings, we exist in a perpetual state of change. We display a strong desire to change and alter the things that surround us. Whether it is for functional purposes or aesthetic pleasure, we continuously want to adjust our surroundings and the things in it. This constant need to alter affects us in a profound way. It exists both on the grand scale and insignificantly. It is perhaps also paradoxically present. One could imagine an environment to exist in a constant state of change while attempting to remain visibly unchanged. An example of this is a landscaped yard. The intent is to keep this space the same; but in order to do so, an unending state of alterations is necessary (weeding, trimming, etcetera). This is an observation that that I found particularly stimulating. I wanted to create a body of work that reflected my interest in this universal drive to alter.
Mary Engelbreit once said, “If you don’t like something, change it…” People have many reasons for modifying their environment, but two things seem to be constant factors: visual interest and function. My work attempts to display the way in which participation in this act of revision, minimal or drastic, can take a simple geometric sculpture, alter it, and improve its visual interest; therefore improving upon its function as a piece of art. If art, in general, functions as a means to experience visual interest, then it is arguable that a more interesting object functions better than a less interesting object.
It is important to note that the experience and participation in modification is personal and subjective. As the saying goes, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” An alteration by one is not necessarily an improvement for all. Therefore, my work does not claim to universally improve the visual impact of geometric forms, but merely represents possible outcomes.
Initially, my interests were purely formal. I was not interested in a body of work that questioned or offered conceptual information to the viewer. I simply wanted to use this idea as a catalyst for a series of work that, in some way, abstractly represented the concept. A theme that I wanted to remain consistent throughout was the idea that one could imagine that the pieces in a single sculpture could be mentally reconstructed to form the original geometric shape; like a puzzle. As the project progressed, the concept became increasingly important, however, I do not expect the viewer to be able to glean content from this series.
Exhibition Description
A smooth white sphere, approximately six inches in diameter, is cut by two parallel planes. Each piece is shifted along the plane and reattached, elongating the form. The disc shape remains in the middle, and the two semi-sphere on either end. Visually, one could imagine sliding the pieces back together in the same fashion as closing a hand of cards. The segmented sphere rests atop a metal rod which extends approximately six inches from the brown patina that covers the metal base. In visual weight, the sculpture and base are matched. The title of the piece is Geometric Alteration: Spherical Form #3.
Similarly, another spherical form with an additional cut that runs perpendicular to the first two, Geometric Alteration: Spherical Form #4, rests a little lower to its brown patina base. The color of the base is predominantly dark brown with areas of natural rust that intermittently shows through.
A tan sphere, with suggestions of a neutralized orange color throughout, approximately seven inches in diameter, is cut in half. From one half, an additional wedge is cut resembling approximately the proportion of an orange slice. The three pieces are arranged, elongating the form, with the smallest piece in the middle and the larger pieces on the top and bottom. The hemisphere displays a rough texture with varying tool marks while the other two pieces maintain a softer texture that is more uniform. This piece is called Geometric Alteration: Spherical Form #1.
Another orange sphere, the same size as Geometric Abstraction: Sphere #3, is cut into five varying pieces. They are all arranged, stacked on top of each other, to form an elongated piece that stretches just beyond two feet. The color is also the same tan/neutralized orange as before, with the same subtle textures. This piece is titled Geometric Alteration: Spherical Form #2.
Geometric Alteration: Rectilinear Form #1, #2, #3, and #4 are all made from the same three shapes, only arranged in different configurations. Geometric Alteration: Rectilinear Form #2 has three pieces arranged with the largest on top supported by two smaller rectilinear forms on the bottom. Number three in the series is just the opposite; the large movement is on the bottom with two rectilinear forms resting on top. The clay body is white coated with boiled linseed oil that gives it an off-white coloration.
Geometric Alteration: Rectilinear Form #1 is also made from the same three shapes as number two three, only they are arranged so that each is stacked on top of each other. The whole sculpture is then tilted on the corner of the largest movement and secured to a metal base to remain balanced on its corner.
Geometric Alteration: Rectilinear Form #4 is made from a total of five rectilinear shapes. They are all stacked on top of each other to make a taller sculpture reaching approximately twenty-two inches. The top and bottom rectangles have been textured with a stripe pattern that runs horizontally along the form. The rest of the piece remains smooth. There is a hole in the middle shape that was created from the pour spout of the plaster mold. It was intentionally left as both a compositional element and to indicate the process in which the sculpture was made.
The next piece, Geometric Alteration: Rectilinear Form #5, was hand-built from an elongated rectilinear form approximately fourteen inches long and five inches square. It was cut in various places to make six unique shapes. The shapes were then stacked on top of each other to reach a length of approximately twenty four inches. The whole thing is secured on a metal base. The texture, unlike the other sculptures, is very rough throughout.
Description and Reflection of the Process
I began each sculpture with a complete geometric form from which to make alterations. I was intent on starting with complete forms because it was important for the final sculpture be the actual record of some modification. It did not make sense for me to merely mimic the appearance of an altered sculpture, even if that meant it would be easier to construct. That seemed dishonest. The final sculpture needed to be real, not faked to look like an alteration had taken place. The act of manipulating the form was equally important as the final product. I want my work to reflect a genuine curiosity of the fundamental human characteristic that I have observed of the human desire to change things.
Throughout the year, my process changed as I encountered obstacles and challenges and experimented with different styles and techniques. I began by sculpting solid clay shapes that would eventually be hollowed out. The next process was a mold-making and slip-casting endeavor. I also attempted a wheel thrown piece to achieve a cylindrical shape. I finished the body of work by employing a combination of press-molding and hand-building.
Selecting the clay bodies and surface treatments was relatively trivial when bearing in mind the final product. However, certain considerations were made regarding the color and properties of the clay since I decided this series would pay special attention to form. I selected clay bodies that would not distract from this by keeping them simple. I discarded any planned surface treatment because I did not want surfaces to distract from the final form. I selected various neutral colored clay bodies that I felt would achieve a visually pleasing quality when left bare. These included off-white, neutral-orange and dark-brown stoneware bodies that were fired to maturity in an electric kiln.[i] I also used a pure white slip that was used in the cast sculptures.
I started the year by sculpting geometric forms by hand from solid clay. Using a wire clay cutter and guide that I had engineered, I was able to cut straight lines through the mass of the solid wet clay, shifting the resulting pieces and arranging them into new sculptures. This process involved hollowing out the numerous pieces without taking any clay from the surface. The goal was to retain the appearance that the form was solid while reducing the mass inside.
The second process I used was mold-making and slip-casting. Slip-casting is a commercial technique in which liquefied clay (slip) is poured into a plaster mold. This process can produce multiple copies of the original object, and was therefore useful in making sculptures that utilized the same form, but with different outcomes. The downside of slip casting is that the casts are hollow with very thin walls. I foresaw some difficulties manipulating these thin walls of clay so I tried to think of ways I could alter the process of pouring the molds, making the alteration before the slip is poured.
After some research, I found some instructional videos on YouTube of people who had experimented with alternate ways of slip-casting. They employed a technique that allowed variations of a mug to be made by rearranging the pieces of the plaster mold. I spent some time in the beginning of Winter Term experimenting with this idea and adapted a new way to slip cast based on a method of slip casting mugs as seen in a video by John Britt Pottery. My goal was to engineer a method of arranging the pieces of the plaster mold, rather than casting individual pieces of a sculpture and attaching them after the fact. The idea would have been promising for smaller works, but it did not have a feasible application in the scale that I was working in (the amount of slip required to pour a mold of this size would have been in the hundreds of pounds). However, a feasible alternative did arise from this experimentation. Instead of trying to cast the entire sculpture in one piece, I proposed to cast the sculptures in three pieces. This allowed me to make multiple sculptures from the same basic shapes. However, before this process could start, I first had to make the plaster molds.
The molds I created were made from a particular type of pottery plaster that is very firm, but can absorb large amounts of water. I started by sculpting a rectilinear form, approximately sixteen inches high, from reclaimed clay.[ii] I used plywood screwed together at 90o angles to make straight lines and corners. I dissected the form into three segments, following a style I had begun to develop of cutting straight lines through the object and shifting its mass along the flat plane; either vertically or horizontally. Then I covered each of the pieces with several layers of mold soap, a releasing agent, so that when the plaster is poured over it, the clay can easily be removed and discarded. A coddle[iii] is then made from plywood to contain the wet plaster. Once the plaster is mixed and poured, it must be left to dry (drying times vary from a few hours to overnight). A pour spout is then cut into the plaster to allow slip to be poured in and out. The mold is then put together, secured with rubber bands and filled with slip. The water from the slip is drawn into the plaster, leaving behind a film of clay. As more water is drawn into the walls of the mold, the clay thickens until it is sold. It will continue to increase in thickness until the excess is poured out. The mold is then left to dry until the clay is at a soft/leather-hard state.[iv]
I made enough casts to build four different sculptures from the same rectilinear form. In addition, I was able to create a few experimental pieces, but they did not align with my original concept. I discarded the work from my core series.
The last technique I used was a combination of press-molding and hand building. I cast a hemisphere in plaster and pressed solid clay into it. Joining two or more parts of a press mold together makes a complete form. For example, a sphere is made by press-molding two hollow hemispheres and then joining them together. I continued to use the press molds through Spring Term thereby hand-building the final pieces.
Throughout the year, I was also working on a series of metal bases for some of the sculptures. With the help of my father, I cut, welded and sanded the bases to provide a foundation to support the spherical, and some of the rectilinear, sculptures. Even though the purpose of the bases is functional, I wanted them to compliment the sculpture while remaining as visually minimal as possible. After the bases and sculptures were complete, I used an industrial adhesive (PC-7) to affix the two together. The impetus for placing certain sculptures on a base came from my interest in viewing the complete form. I want the viewer to be able to see the form from all sides. If the sculpture is resting on a pedestal, the view is partially obstructed. By elevating the sculpture on a metal rod, the viewer is able to get a better sense of the entire form. I wanted to call special attention to the form by giving it a space to exist. “A work of art is situated in space. But it will not do to say it simply exists in space: a work of art treats space according to its own needs, defines space and even creates such space as may be necessary to it” (Focillon 65).
Technical Issues
One of the things I discovered is that working in clay is sometimes an engineering trial. When challenged, engineering my own tools helped me to solve problems and improve technique. Last year I built an armature to hold a wire clay cutter, a tool that usually requires both hands, so that I could free my other hand to stabilize what I was cutting through. I was able to use this tool continually throughout this series, with the use of a guide, to cut straight lines through my geometric forms.
Some issues that I faced came from the difficulty in getting smooth, flat planes with perfect edges using a soft and malleable material. Some were a matter of technique, and some were a matter of skill. As I worked, it became clear that I needed to change my approach to achieve the results that I wanted.
The first challenge I faced dealt with the solid clay forms. The reason for working with solid forms may seem bothersome or inconvenient, but it was important for the process. The kinds of alterations I was making to the form involved cutting straight lines through the forms at various places and shifting their mass on the flush planes it created. Imagine a hollow sphere is cut in half resulting in two hollow hemispheres; shells. To reattach the shells in any other place, other than its original orientation, there would be (almost) nothing to attach it to; the space inside is empty. Hypothetically, if the two halves were secured, there is still the problem of the two gaping holes that must be filled to create a complete form. Now imagine a solid sphere is cut in half. Since the sphere has mass throughout, there is plenty of surface area to reattach the hemispheres. Also, there are no holes to fill. As long as the initial cut through the sphere is flat and smooth, there is little to fix. This is the reason why building solid was a necessity. It remained true to the original form in its entirety – nothing added, nothing subtracted. It is an honest exercise in taking a geometric form and altering it.
Though I was working with solid clay, I did not intend to leave them solid as this would cause a firing[v] issue. Ordinarily, a ceramist would build hollow because thick clay has the potential for hidden air pockets to cause the work to explode in the kiln. To avoid this, I planned on hollowing out the forms after I had altered them, but the initial weight of the solid clay created a problem. They were too heavy and difficult to handle; something I did not expect. Since my first pieces were to be twelve to fourteen inches long, I needed to start with a basic form about the same size in order to achieve my final height requirement. What I did not realize from the beginning was that a simple sphere, just nine inches in diameter, was about twenty pounds of wet, malleable clay. When I began to work with it, it was heavy and awkward to handle which resulted in misshapen forms. While I was building, the weight of the wet clay caused my fingers to make indentations into the clay. It was necessary to handle the forms due to the fact that I was building intuitively and needed to look at the form from all sides continuously. This ate up a huge amount of time. Each time a plane was deformed, I would spend a great deal of time fixing it, which would often cause even more distortions.
To combat the issue of deforming shapes, I allowed the clay to firm up by letting it dry. As wet clay dries, its ability to retain its shape improves, however the trade-off is the clay also stiffens, making it difficult to run a wire cutter through. If the previous pieces were nine inches thick and difficult to cut at this dryer stage, I knew the larger pieces would be even more challenging. To achieve the larger pieces, I chose to change my method from hand-building to slip casting. This, I felt, would alleviate the issues I experienced with the first solid-built forms.
I spent most of Winter Term experimenting and working with slip-casting, only to realize that it had not really offered me anything more than hand-building. In the last weeks of the term, I stopped pouring casts and attempted a few more pieces built with solid clay. One of the reasons I stopped hand-building was because of a confidence issue. I felt that my skills were not good enough. Moving forward with hand-building was, in part, due to a newfound confidence I had in myself. It was also, in part, due to a newfound tool that I had not previously employed.
The tool that was a tremendous help was the press-mold. Previously, I had been forming geometric shapes by hand, spending large amounts of time making them visibly perfect. With the use of a press-mold, I was able to easily and quickly achieve geometric shapes by pressing clay into the pre-made mold, knowing that when I removed the clay, it would retain its geometric qualities. The clay would also be easier to handle because plaster is a material that absorbs water thereby drying the surface of the clay where contact is made.
Using the press-mold and slab-built structures, I was able to achieve larger structures. The first piece I fired in Spring Term, also the largest I have attempted thus far, cracked in three places at the base of the sculpture. Though the building method is improved, it caused an issue in the kiln. The new problem was the weight of the clay was too much to be supported by the thin walls with which I had now become accustom to building. The final solution to my problems was to fire the pieces of the sculptures separately and attach them afterwards. Another solution would have been to use internal support structures, but I chose to fire the pieces separately as the scale of these sculptures were becoming difficult to fire in our smaller electric kilns.
Visual and Intellectual Research Findings
I was inspired by a lot of different artists, many in the field of ceramics. However, the idea for this proposal was sparked from a curiosity in my own mind, and I later found artists that had also experimented in something similar. As my initial idea was developing, I searched for artists who had done similar things or things I found interesting. I looked through a few ceramic reference books in the library, but ultimately a Google Image search was what provided me with material to draw further inspiration from. I found the following artists: Teo Huey Ling, Michael Geertsen, Mika Negishi Laidlaw, and Zachary Eastwood-Bloom. Following the image search, I researched each artist and read their artist and process statements if one could be found.
Ling’s work (see Fig. 1) provided a multitude of inspiration to draw from. Not only did I find her work fascinating, she has an intriguing way of mixing materials and processes that I have since drawn from. She speaks about her work titled Stacked:
"This work was a reference to the house that I lived in, 'cube stacked high into the air' – the HDB flats. The cubes were slip cast and altered, stain colored, glazed and Raku fired; their materials were stoneware bone china, a bit of wood and felt. Just like Rojak, our local favorite food, I preferred to use a variety of techniques and materials in my art because of a consciousness to our multifaceted nation. I enjoyed experimenting with the different techniques, stacking and balancing the precarious cubes, finally presenting the work as a search for identity through all these processes. I was interested in how she related cubes and abstract geometric elements to architecture, using varying methods and alterations to convey the diversity of what surrounds us."
Another artist I drew from was Zachary Eastwood-Bloom (see Fig. 2). His work, similar to Ling’s, features varying alterations of a basic geometric shape, resembling architectural structures. Not only is the craftsmanship admirable, but also there is something interesting about the process of trying to figure out what his work is trying to convey. For me, it was a process of recognizing similarity and trying to figure out a connection. The work is non-objective, so the message is ambiguous. I enjoy these kinds of work that have the ability to catch your attention for more than a moment to admire the craftsmanship. This was something I attempted to achieve with my work; a moment to admire a technical feat, and then something extra to try and make connections. The meaning behind it may never be known, but that is what I feel makes a work great as opposed to good. A quote from his artist statement provided me with insight into what I want my work to convey:
Everything that has a high aesthetic and/or functional value and/or cultural value:
products, objects, works, ideas and experiences that present a high degree of quality, innovation, research and sustainability. Something capable of improving people’s experience, at the practical and/or emotional level, and if possible the world in which we live, is necessary. Being necessary is not a question of price: it can be cheap or expensive (Eastwood-Bloom).
Above all else, I just want to make something that has value. I want my work to be validated by being seen and enjoyed. It does not necessarily matter to me that someone “gets” my work, it just matters that they enjoy looking at it. If it is not an enjoyable experience, then I have failed as an artist.
Conclusion
My biggest realization from this project is that clay, though extremely versatile, is not always the appropriate material for every idea that comes along. For my original ideas, I needed a material that was workable, like clay, but rigid and forgiving, unlike clay. I was perhaps in a constant state of denial after the realization that a better suited material for this project would have been wood or metal. I kept working, but I was trying to force a perception that if I worked long enough, or found the right technique, I could make clay forms have perfect edges and flat planes despite the multitude of handling and cutting that took place on its soft and fragile body. The task was not impossible, but it was extremely time-consuming and challenging, especially considering the scale. However, I felt that I must continue with the task at hand, despite my failures, because it was what I set out to do and I was determined to accomplish my goals.
The hardest part of this series was to finally accept and work with the natural properties of the clay. It is evident that the beginning works are not as strong as some of the later works. This is because I was working against the clays inherent properties. Clay is a material that is very fluid, textured and fragile. To try and force this material into perfect geometric shapes with crisp delineated lines was a mistake. This is evident by the areas in my works that should be perfect straight lines, but are lacking in quality. This is not because I did not spend time trying to make them perfect, it was my best effort to get them the way they are now. The fault lay in my expectation of clay, not the clay itself.
Despite the downfalls, it would not be true to say that I failed at my ambitions. From this body of work came many learning opportunities, such as developed skills in mold-making, press-molding, problem-solving and experience in an extended body of work. I also created the opportunity to work with metal, a material I have yet to try. Most importantly, I have developed a better sense of how I work independently and formulated many ideas for future series.