Land art concept begins to take shape....

People's connection with the land is a vital relationship;  "We worship and loath it, sanctify and destroy it." Kastner and Wallis, (1998).  In landscape we see the space which we occupy and we also see ourselves, in what we do to that landscape.  My land art will trace the route of the River Fal, a vital piece of water from the beginning of man's occupation of the area.  The natural environment of the river; its geology and ecology, has been fundamentally affected by man's activities within that landscape.  But instead of walking the route as Richard Long might do, or leaving ephemeral pieces created out of driftwood or rubbish washed onto beaches, my art will invite people to visit and to comment on the landscape and on pieces which I have placed along the way.  It will be those visits which create the finished art.  UNLESS YOU WALK MY ART WILL NOT EXIST!  Watch this blog for the development of the pieces and of the route which you must walk to create my art works....... all in good time!

Ceramics experiments

So I have now got my first trials back from biscuit firing.  I am really pleased with the way the organic matter has burned out leaving the texture but there is a long way to go before these are right.  They need to longer, thinner and more fragile before I will be happy.  Still these are a start.  When I do get the technique right the vessels that I make for this project will be inspired by the River Fal in Cornwall.  And then.......

Update on the big idea.....

I thought it was time to update people on my big idea so here are two images of the pieces that I am working on for the first 3 weeks.  The are slipcast porcelain, very thin!  The idea is to take textures from near the river and create vessels from the textures.  I have not quite got it right yet,  The porcelain is too brittle to shape properly but I feel as if I am on my way.  The flatter 'dish like' shape actually has pieces of reed embedded in it which will burn out during firing.  Hopefully I will be left with something imperfect and highly textured.  Then I will use oxides to colour parts of it before a second firing.  I am really excited about the outcome of the first firing, which I should know by tomorrow... Fingers crossed!