Raw & Hand Built
Living out of town on our beautiful rainforest block, there are times when I feel quite isolated from other creatives. I also tend to feel the tyranny of distance when wonderful art events occur a long way away, usually in the southern states of Australia. This combined with a break from the studio over the festive season culminated not so much in a creative block, but rather a vague floundering feeling of uncertainty. What direction would I like to take my practice to take this year? What will I work towards? There are so many options in the field of ceramics I’d like to explore, that it would be easy to be overwhelmed and go nowhere.
So, I have been grateful for the opportunity to attend a block of workshops with a group called Artist Connect facilitated by Melania Jack from NorthSite Contemporary Arts Cairns. The purpose of our gatherings is to connect with other artists, to mentor and support each other, to inspire and motivate. Our first meeting this week has already provided affirmation, support, and a process to help participants find a way forward.
Subsequently, I started by browsing through images of 2023 works that excited me the most. I decided I would like to become closer the the organic nature of the material I work with. I like the notion of the Japanese philosophy of ‘happiness in the accident” and elemental firing techniques that have a direct link to fire and it’s spontaneity. I realised that I have, for the moment, fallen out of love with the potter’s wheel. I find inspiration in the raw work of Violet Bond (Instagram : @violetbond) and Melissa Weiss (Instagram @melissaweisspottery). Both artists harvest their own ‘wild’ clay from the landscapes they live in, maintaining a close bond to the earth. Both use hand building techniques to produce pots with integrity and an aesthetic that speaks to me.
After re-reading Weiss’s book ‘Hand Built: A Potter’s Guide’, I have started by hand making cups using the Japanese technique of Kurinuki, whereby a cup is carved out of a single solid block of clay. This technique was used to produce the first raku cups for the tea ceremony in Japan. They are deeply satisfying to make and the process quite meditative. Simultaneously, I have started a range of bowls and platters using slab building techniques. I have jumped into the deep end. There is so much to learn. A lot of what I am producing is quite amateurish, but hey? You have to start somewhere! Hopefully, with time and practice, I will develop my own style of hand built functional works. A new goal.