Serendipity

You kind of feel that you are on the right track when you are looking for a way forward and the metaphorical doors open.

I have to admit that when it comes to electricity, lights, LED, programming possibilities, energy sources, battery capacities … … it is all a foreign language and a strange land to me.

I sense a steep learning curve ahead.

And then a friend tells me that her son was working on a project at his high school, and I should talk to him. Not only that, but she also mentions my project to the teacher, and it turns out that the school is interested in a “real life collaborative project”.

This is really exciting! At the meeting with the teachers I learn that All Saints’ College has HotHouse and PropellerEnterprises. On the ASC web site I learn that the HotHouse is an incubation environment where unique and experimental ideas are given the necessary raw materials to grow into whatever they are destined to be; and Propeller is new hub for innovation at All Saints’ College. I think I fit right in!

And so, I have packed up Seed -

 "sculpture in progress" and transported it to the All Saints' College.

A few images from the brainstorming/workshop sessions with the students. I was really too busy to take photos.....

To make it easier for us to work, I have made several models of the Seed,and it made me understand its geometry better.

Here is the net:

Folding lines are blue, orange and beige are the edges of the tiles.

If any of you want to make your own model, print this image full size on A4 page 3 times:

Next week will be our last session together as the school year is drawing to a close, and some of the participants will be already on the school camp. We have made good progress in problem solving LED lights positioning and programming, but there is still a way to go before the sculpture is finished.

Ideas bubbling

This sculpture has several new elements that I need to investigate, and at this stage I don’t know if I can achieve what I am looking for.

Unlike the previous sculptures where I was looking for the light, airy, delicate and almost weightless feel, this one doesn’t have the look-through-holes and I want it to feel solid and dense. It is a Seed, full of life potential, not an empty husk.

I know that no matter how much I try; there will be the inevitable gaps between the clay tiles and the empty space inside will be visible. I don’t want to create solid wall (like concrete) and grout the tiles on… I still need to be able to move the sculpture without the heavy machinery, so in looking for other options I started thinking about LED lights. 

Not long ago I attended the “show and tell” by company called Light Applications which have designed lighting for many public art installations. I was intrigued and inspired to include (if possible) some lights in my work….and so the idea of the LED light “travelling” through the gaps in the tiles, reminiscent of the neurons firing in the brain, started to take shape…

The first challenge is…I know frustratingly little about lights. To me they are just magic to be enjoyed. Where do I start?

Now at Bondi

Sculpture by the Sea 2017, Bondi

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by lilbusgirl (subscribe)

http://3eggsfull.blogspot.com.au/

Event: 19/10/2017 - 05/11/2017

Don't miss out on the 21st sculptures by the sea

Running for the 21st year, Sculptures by the Sea returns to Bondi with stories of coming of age. This most spectacular coastal walk from Bondi to Tamarama Beach will feature 104 sculptures by artists from Australia and across the world from 19th October to 5th November 2017.

Sculptures by the Sea 2017

large image

The ceremony opened with an acknowledgement of the traditional custodianship of the land and speeches by John Wakefield - newly elected Mayor of Waverley, Aqualand - Principal Sponsor for the event and David Handley - Founding Director of Sculptures by the Sea.

to read further, click HERE.

Bubbles,seeds and geometry…

Starting with hexagons, pentagons and triangles (with all the permutations), searching for the shape that is the right fit for ideas in my mind....

Bubbles and seeds…

From the book:

Uber die gleichecking-gleichflachigen, diskontinuierlichen und nichtkonvexen Polyheder.
von Prof. Dr. Max Bruckner. Oberlehrer am Gymnasium zu Bautzen
Halle. 1906.

Another look at the platonic solids:

How about Icosahedron? Those triangles could be divided into the further triangles....

Starting point:.

...but not there yet....

the triangles work with the ability to repeat elements....but I am looking for more dynamic form.....bubble bursting, seed opening, the moment of change......

And this is it. Final concept.I like the new direction it is starting to take....

New chapter

In the Grain of Sand is on its way to Bondi, traveling across the Nullarbor on Johannes Pannekoek’s trailer, the journey I am yet to make. It is certainly in the good hands and in the good company. This time I’m staying behind, feeling a bit like a mother of the child on the first school trip. (enough said).

The excitement of the Open Studios Kalamunda is over for another year, and I’m enjoying the clean and tidy (once a year look!) space. The studio is basking in the positive energy of Sunday’s visitors, and I’m reluctant to disturb the glow. Like starting a new visual diary – blank, white, clean page to be savoured for a while, and then filled with…well, whatever happens….

I am ready for the new project, and so the journey begins….

I am working on the Seed:

largely inspired by microscopic images of pollens and seeds, and configurations of bubbles. It continues the exploration of the infinitely small, microscopic and seemingly insignificant, and at the same time explores the symbolism of the seed as the nucleus, the essence of being, the creative starting point and the potential for renewal..

The configuration of bubbles.....

It all started with the notion of the membrane separating the inner and outer space. Living in the bubble, blowing bubbles, bursting bubbles....there are plenty of metaphors to play with.

And then I came upon the exploratorium  web site and found this:

If you take two sheets of clear glass or plastic separated by about one-half inch, soak them in soapy solution and then blow bubbles between the sheets, you will get many bubble walls. If you look closely, you will notice that all of the vertices where three bubble walls meet (and there are always three,) form 120 degree angles. If your bubbles are of uniform size, you will notice that the cells form hexagons and start to look much like the cells of a beehive. Bees, like bubbles, try to be as efficient as possible when making the comb. They want to use the minimum possible amount of wax to get the job done. Hexagonal cells are the ticket.

And so the journey begins.....

Let’s talk about glazes…

 I love the science, mystery and complexity of glazes, and occasionally I teach the ‘Understanding Glazes” course. Some of the students that come to the course are disappointed at the lack of straight answers and quick fixes, and others get mesmerized by the unlimited possibilities. Mostly, I teach Glaze technology as a cooking class. And it makes sense. There are limited number of ingredients, some of them local, you mix them together in various proportions and heat them to the various temperatures. The “mystery and magic” of transformation of raw ingredients into the glassy surfaces comes from unfamiliarity. Most of us can name at least 5 different foods made from eggs, fat, water and wheat flour in different ratios. (pancakes, bread, pasta, dumplings, profiteroles, omelette, scrambled eggs, egg sandwich, pastry, basic mayonnaise, custard……). What happens if I expand it to “any flour” instead of “wheat flour”? What if we allow “additives” (spices, sweeteners, flavours)?

Yes, very soon we can say that the possibilities are almost limitless.

So, why don’t we see the “magic” in making an omelette the same way we do when we mix glazes?

For most of us it is about familiarity. If we were exposed to glaze materials as often and from as young age as we are to cooking, we would be just as comfortable with mixing a glaze as we are with scrambling eggs for breakfast.

There is another thing, and that is that we (humans) prefer simple answers, even to the complex questions.

We have so much going on in our lives…most of the time we can’t really cope even with the full scope of the sensory input available (smells, sounds, visual stimuli, movement…) let alone more complex matters (relationships, complex problem solving…) so our brains shut down the flood gates in front of the complexity and only open the little doors: just give me the simple answer I can trust and don’t have to think too much about it.

Yet, on the other hand, we (humans) fully accept and understand that some questions don’t have simple answers.

And that brings me to the new idea. The next step from the “cooking class” in understanding glazes is the “psychology class”.

It is a big jump, but bear with me for a while.

Psychology, in simplified terms, is mostly about the relationships. It is also something that although only a few of us study, most of us are familiar enough with to understand that there are no simple answers to some (in terms of psychology, I dare say most) questions.

How do I find the perfect partner?

(most of the mature adults will only smile )

How do I make the grey speckle glaze that looks like this:….?

(the answer is the same as to the question above: you won’t know until you test it)

And here are two images which prompted this philosophical tirade:

The glazes on the images are the same, applied in the same manner, fired on the same kiln shelf. The only difference is the clay body. Both are white stoneware.

One variable that we don’t even take in serious consideration most of the time, as long as it is the same general type…

In the last 5 months

A lot has been happening since I talked to you last:

“Shuffle”;  the video work  by Pilar Mata Dupoint, commissioned by Transport for New South Wales was shown at wynscreen ( 20 m wide screen at one of Sydney's inner city train stations) for almost 6 weeks. 

Unfortunately I didn’t get to see it, but it was really exciting to be involved in the project. Here are few "work in progress" images

In the Grain of Sand was shown at the Sculpture by the Sea in Cottesloe. 

Here is wonderful image by Jessica Wyld

Maybe you are fast enough to spot it in the video:

And the new sculpture: Seed of Tomorrow was created and shown in Mandurah. 

 I will tell you more about it in the next post. 

As you can see it was really busy time.Too busy to tell you about it at the time. It is kind of nice to sit back now and reflect, sort, contemplate and hibernate a little. ( It is "winter" in Australia).

Enrolments are open for next term courses

Next term I will be teaching day and evening classes: Explore Ceramic  in Nedlands, and Understanding Glazes in Fremantle. Click on the image for more information.

Malformed and Decayed

I'm having a lot of fun with this project, yet every time I attempt to talk or write about it I stumble for words. I don't know where to start or what to say. As I mentioned in a previous post, the brief is to make objects that are reminiscent of Victorian European ceramic, yet decayed and malformed. Bruised, distorted,misshapen, rot, peeling skin, are some of the referencing descriptive words. 

Well, most of the work is finished, glazed and fired, yet I am reluctant to let it go. I am confused with it. I am fascinated by the turmoil they are creating in my thoughts.I created them and I am attracted and repulsed by them at the same time. I feel as if I'm staring at someones misshapen and scared face, knowing that it is rude, yet unable to stop. (and I have created them!!)

I can't even photograph them properly. They are challenging me on so many levels!
So, here we go, a selection of unedited images. And I would love to hear your thoughts:

progress

I do like welding the frame, the skeleton of the sculpture. It is hot and exhausting, and at this stage I have no Idea if all the pieces will fit together..

So far so good. This one is coming together smoothly, but based on the previous experiences I'm bracing myself for glitches.

 Last few welds

 And then it is DONE!! I like the neat base.when it's turned sideways I can walk in, which will come handy when it comes to painting the frame. 

 Finding the photogenic position in the garden for the trial assembly and the photo-shoot.

Oh, and I still need to make the last thirty tiles, fire them twice, and paint the frame with cold galv. and 3 layers of anti-corrosive enamel.

But for now, I will grab a glass of vine and just sit here for a while and enjoy the view.