Inspired by Alison Gautrey
I came across the beautiful, delicate work of Alison Gautrey - www.alisongautrey.com who makes delicate cast forms that vibrate as they sit on a shelf, by adding the clay whilst turning the mould on a wheel. Her colours are subtle and the overall effect is stunning - so I decided to have a go!
Lots of my work refers to cores of the earth that are extracted to give us an insight into the geological structures beneath our feet - so these simple(?) forms could hint at the geology. I used porcelain and oxide porcelains with various iron elements as in my geological vessels. Above are some examples straight from the form and after the bisque firing - i'm expecting to open a kiln tomorrow with some of them high fired - looking forward to the results.
I was luck enough to meet Alison at Ceramic Art London and to feel her beautiful vessels. They are so light and thin, from her experience and skill at only placing "just enough clay" in the form and spinning it at a high speed. She makes her own slip and adds a lot of deflucuent, thus allowing the clay to travel before setting. Thanks Alison for giving so much information about your process - lots to have a try with, although Alison's skills can never be replaced!
