222 Grips for a Stone - the trauma of an object

For many the familiar presence of things is a comfort. Things are valued not only because of their rarity of cost or their historical aura, but because they seem to partake in our lives; they are domesticated, part of our routine and so of us. Their long association with us seems to make them custodians of our memories. Yet this does not mean that things reveal themselves, only our investments in them.   

Peter Schwenger.

Not only does our human existence articulate that of an object through the language of our perceptions, but the object calls out that language from us, and with it our own sense of embodied experience.

This would imply that we as humans project upon objects the experiences of human emotions and qualities, yet at the same time things reveal to us to ourselves in profound and unexpected ways.

My explorations rely on the historical, social and political associations we place upon objects when I create my assemblages. I challenge our associations by placing objects under extreme duress, often subjecting them to immense forces which transforms the nature of the object and consequently our understanding of it.

I am not interested simply in the destruction of materials, but more about their resurrection and transformation.

These everyday objects comfort us through their familiarity, yet there is a tension between the two versions of the object: that of its known past as a familiar functional object (by association) to its current state which bears the scars of the trauma it has been subjected.

The progression of images shows the working process I am currently employing in the studio. Ceramic 'stones' are found, and then 'gripped' or contained by the steel wire woven into basket forms. 

Combining broken glass, and a shino glaze, the object is then fired to Cone 6 in a reduction atmosphere kiln. The results culminate in a glaze that has surface cracks, the wire becomes brittle and sinks into the glaze in places. The broken glass pieces mix with the glaze and run off the object before solidifying again. 

222 Grips for a Stone - Handles

Continuing my exploration into 222 Grips for a Stone, I thought it would be fun to literally take the idea of putting 'grips on stone'.

Working with found lumps of clay, I attached handles generally used in kitchens to create references to domestic landscapes attached to the stone. 

I liked the idea that this one references a chest of drawers.

222 Grips for a Stone
#52

Previously, the metal I had put in the kiln and fired to cone 08 was steel, and the result was that it oxidised and blackened. However with aluminium handles, the metal completely burns away, leaving a residue similar to shaving cream. 

222 Grips for a Stone
#53

Also, because I am using large blocks of clay, occasionally they explode in the kiln, leaving behind an interesting assortment of rubble (as in the image above).

222 Grips for a Stone
#55

I really enjoyed the imagery of attaching handles along the 'ridge' of a block of clay, and it immediately brought to mind the nursery rhyme Mis Marry Mack. 

Miss Mary Mack Mack MackAll dressed in black, black, blackWith silver buttons, buttons, buttonsAll down her back, back, back.
She asked her mother, mother, motherFor 50 cents, cents, centsTo see the elephants, elephants, elephantsJump over the fence, fence, fence.
They jumped so high, high, highThey reached the sky, sky, skyAnd they didn't come back, back, back'Til the 4th of July, ly, ly!

222 Grips for a Stone
#56

Unfortunately, these two pieces were destroyed in the firing, and I now know to attach aluminium handles afterwards.

I find it interesting that my work continues to reference  post colonialism, domesticity and feminism, even whilst I am exploring the new theme of '222 grips for a stone' and limiting my materials to found objects.

222 Grips for a Stone - Macrame (48-51)

#50 of 222 Grips for a Stone

#51 of 222 Grips for a Stone

I have been thinking about the definition of 'grip'. The term can have many meanings and associations.

grip ¹

n.

1.

a. A tight hold; a firm grasp: a drowning swimmer now safely in the grip of a lifeguard.

b. The pressure or strength of such a grasp: a wrestler with an unmatched grip.

c. A manner of grasping and holding: The crate afforded no comfortable grip.

2.

a. Intellectual hold; understanding: a good grip on French history.

b. Ability to function properly or well; competence: getting a grip on the new technique.

c. Mental or emotional composure: lost his grip after he was fired.

3.

a. A mechanical device that grasps and holds.

b. A part, such as a handle, that is designed to be grasped and held.

4.       A suitcase or valise.

5.        a. A stagehand who helps in shifting scenery.

b. A member of a film production crew who adjusts sets, lighting, and props and sometimes assists the cameraoperator.

#48 of 222 Grips for a Stone

#49 of 222 Grips for a Stone

222 Grips for a Stone - Metamorphosis (40-47)

"stone is the only thing in nature that constantly dies" - Frances Ponge  

The solidity, reliability and impassiveness of stone is constant, yet it is continually changing, although at a greatly reduced rate compared with human life. Despite its solidity, it is worn down by atmospheric agents such as air and water, reducing large pieces of stones into pebbles, and then finally into fine particles of sand. 

#40 of 222 Grips for a Stone
Before firing

#41 of 222 Grips for a Stone
After firing

Because of this Ponge believes that stone is the only thing in nature that constantly dies (73). He then considers all forms of stone (rock, pebble, sand), all represent some stage of its evolution, exist simultaneously in the world. He relates this notion of connectedness as paradise, where all conception exists (74). 

#42 of 222 Grips for a Stone
Before firing 

#45 of 222 Grips for a Stone
After firing 

Stone is continually changing form, yet at the same time it remains true to its original composition of minerals. In some senses you could say that stone is an illusory force in nature, having the ability to continually morph itself over time. Once it is ground down into smaller particles it has the potential to be transformed into larger stones again through sedimentary processes, or melted under extreme heat in the form of lava.

#46 of 222 Grips for a StoneBefore firing  

#47 of 222 Grips for a Stone
After firing

Because of the vast difference in materiality between the unfired and the fired clay pieces, after much discussion and consideration I have started counting the before fire and after fire as different pieces in my exploration of 222 grips for a stone. 

Interestingly, the copper wire, which contains or grips the clay before being fired, acts as another grip after firing, as the melted copper sticks the ceramics together.

Ponge, F. The Voice of Things. Herder and Herder. United States 1974.

222 Grips for a Stone (27-35) Melting experiments

The exploration for 222 Grips for a Stone (or mineral) continues. 

I have been giving a lot of thought to the definition of a stone and mineral and it is becoming increasingly broader scope - which is great because I am continuing to find more ways to develop my material exploration.

Glass consists of minerals and I am interested exploring the effects it has when bound by wire and then placed in the kiln.

I started my explorations working in the enamelling kilns, and my first lot of experiments did not heat up enough. The kiln sat around 1500 degrees farenheight and the only result was a softening of the edges of the broken glass. Which was interesting, but not the effects I was looking for.

#28 of 222 Grips for a Stone before melting

#28 of 222 Grips for a Stone 

My next lot of experiments were undertaken in a different enamel kiln where the heat is stronger, and a little more unpredictable. The kiln heated to about 900 degrees centigrade and within minutes my glass was starting to melt. 

#30 of 222 Grips for a Stone detail

With the idea of griping the glass by wrapping it with wire, I was also interested in exploring the idea where the glass also starts to grip the wire, by melting the wire into the glass.

#31 of 222 Grips for a Stone

Ideally I would like to capture drips like rain water. This is as close as I have gotten so far. 

#33 of 222 Grips for a Stone

In this last experiment the glass almost entirely melted away from the wire binding and slumped onto the copper metal below. 

The experiments are taking my work in an exciting new direction and I am looking forward to upscaling so that they are about house brick size. 

222 Grips for a Stone (14-16)

222 Grips for a Stone exploration continues....

222 Grips for a Stone
#14

#14 was made from a piece of wood with nails found in the back yard. I found the perfect stone to balance on the nails. Serendipitously it rained just before I took the photo and I like the addition of the water droplets.

222 Grips for a Stone
#15 

#15 is made from slate collected from the drive way and a piece of weathered wood found in the back yard.

222 Grips for a Stone
#16

#16 I found a rusty spring on on my wanderings around the streets of Halifax. I found the perfect bit of stone and wood to fit within the spring.

222 Grips for a Stone (7-13)

Ive been progressing slowly this week with the continued exploration of 222 grips for a stone.

222 Grips for a Stone
#8

Im trying to restrict myself to using natural materials and/or objects that have been found in the environment.

#8 was a rusty metal piece I found on the streets of Halifax last winter. Its been sitting on my bench for quite some time as I admired it, but wasn't quite sure what I wanted to do with it. And then, I found the perfect stone to fit inside it.

222 Grips for a Stone
#9

I have been wanting to try viking knitting for quite some time. #9 is my first attempt using silver wire. I like how the stone becomes naturally polished from being handled.

222 Grips for a Stone
#10

Similar to viking knitting, #10 is created using a home made knitting nancy constructed from a toilet paper role and some popsicle sticks taped to the sides. 

222 Grips for a Stone
#11

#11 is my favourite from this series. I like the highlight of yellow lichen on the stick. And the shape of the pebble.

222 Grips for a Stone
#13

And I have even started exploring growing crystals in and around wire structures. #13 contains a crystal made from Alum.

Working through these ideas is exciting and each one generates and sparks new ideas that shoot off in different directions. Some I would like to enlarge and turn into sculptures, others I would like to translate into jewellery, whilst some ideas could be reinterpreted into ceramics. 

222 Grips for a Stone is going to be a fascinating adventure of exploration and discovery!

222 Grips for a Stone (1-6)

As a parting gift at the Ground Now workshop by Ruudt Peters we were each given homework to continue our investigation into materials and methods of working. These were generally a follow on from our last piece of work created in the final day of the workshop. 

In my case it was a progression of the ring exploration I was undertaking. My homework was to explore 222 Grips for a Stone (or mineral).

222 is a favourite number of mine, however it is a massive undertaking to try and explore this many grips for a stone. I have made a start... here's the first 6, only 216 to go!

222 Grips for a Stone
#1

222 Grips for a Stone
#2

222 Grips for a Stone
#3

222 Grips for a Stone
#4 

222 Grips for a Stone
#5

222 Grips for a Stone
#5

222 Grips for a Stone
#6

What Grounds You?

One of the projects we had to do at the Ruudt Peter's Ground Now workshop was to make a 1 minute video on what grounds us. We paired up in teams and were allocated half a day to work on it. This is my interpretation on what grounds me.