Using locally found materials allows me to link not only to the physical landscape but to the latent energies embedded within it. Such connections transcend the actual, inviting exploration of the space between that which appears in existence now (the visible), and that which does not (the invisible).
And so, being mindful to collect things from any environment with respect (and permission, if needed), I gather small amounts of pebble, rock, organics, sand and clay. Combining these with manufactured clays, minerals and compounds identified while researching Jo’s work, gives me wide and exciting scope for experimentation in their blending.
Material preparation such as crushing, sieving, dissolving etc. engenders intimate contact between inanimate matter and sentient human. Much can be conveyed through the sense of touch, so I greatly enjoy this tactile interaction. It lets me build greater understanding and closeness, not just with the physical material but with its very being; the chemistry, geology, biology and history of its existence.
Subsequently, enabling change to occur within such matter by exposure to great heat or intense cold allows those materials to be, and to become, what they will. As a result, rather than fostering recognisable outcomes and technical precision in my making, for the moment I’m concerned primarily with the orchestration of happenings. Or, as I prefer to call it, permitting serendipitous alchemy!
Preparation of clay takes time……. but gives time too:
