Carmen McNally's Art

These porcelain pieces turned out really nice. I've never used this technique in ceramics before and I'm really happy that I tried this process as it’s something I can try again at a later stage. Unfortunately, because of the problem with the kiln, my pieces were unable to get fired until after the new year which means I can't continue with this process any further with continuing issues with the kiln and I'm out of time. Above and below are the wool porcelain pieces   Below are the hessian porcelain pieces I photographed, using lighting to highlight the details and cast shadows. I’m pleased with how I was able to capture the intricate textures created by the hessian material. While photographing the piece, I focused on creating a focal point by using a short depth of field. The hessian porcelain pieces didn’t hold up as a complete spiral, as it was too delicate and broke during the firing process. If I had the chance to repeat this process, I would explore ways to rein...

  Michelle Segre This beautiful piece is by Michelle Segre. It's a mixture of materials, metal, paper-mache, wire and rock. I really like the way all the materials seamlessly flow from one to another. I like the spiral form and the folds and creases within it, it reminds me of a flowing dress. It takes your eye on a journey, all the way to the red dot like a spider web. The sculpture looks so delicate and doesn't look like it should be able to stand on its own, I think this is why its so mesmerising. The mesh wire looks like the hessian material I used to dip into the porcelain slip when I created my own ceramic piece. I really wish I had come across Segre's work for inspiration before I created my own spiral shape. Michelle Segre- Untitled (White Form with Red Centre) 2009

  Michael Boroniec   subverts the age-old conception of pots and vases as useful vessels of containment with his sculptural ceramics. The artist began his spiral motif in 2008 with a focus on teapots, and the style has since become the predominant theme of his body of work. Boroniec forms each vessel on his potter’s wheel, and then carefully slices through the still-soft clay to deconstruct the traditional shape. He describes his intention behind these deconstructions in a recent   Instagram post : This process reveals aspects of the vase that most rarely encounter. Within the walls, maker’s marks become evident and contribute to the texture. The resultant ribbon effect, reminiscent of a wheel trimming, lends fragility, elegance, and motion to a medium generally perceived as hard and heavy. This emphasizes a resistance of gravity, allowing negative space to unravel and become part of the form. his work is saved in my artist research folder swirling pots  it remi...

Dipping wool in porcelain slip Today was the first time I felt excited about making something, I was invited by a ceramics technician to join their session, where they experimented with dipping natural fibres into porcelain slip. I brought along a thick wool cardigan, but I found that the wool was too dense to effectively showcase the woven pattern I had in mind, as it didn’t reveal the knitted holes as I had hoped. I also worked with a piece of hessian material, which I was able to manipulate by pulling threads to enlarge the gaps. I believe this material is a powerful representation of the society we live in—strong and flexible, it can both hold you down whilst still allowing movement. Yet, like the societal loopholes we must navigate, if you pull the right thread from the hessian, you can easily break free.    To keep the hessian spiral in place, I wrapped the piece around a cylinder covered in newsprint until it set. This was necessary to maintain its shape so it could be ...

Barbara Licha I came across this sculpture piece by  Polish-Australian artist,  Barbara Licha that has a human figure entangled in a wire form. I really like the different textures and the range of thickness of wire. Some parts look delicate and fragile, whilst other parts look sharp and dangerous.   Barbara Licha- Shelter Sculpture Licha's work has evolved from painting and graphic drawing to sculpture, the sculptures above and below are created using chicken wire. Licha feels these figures didn’t need clay or plaster, as the wire lines created a three-dimensional “drawing in space.” While her work may evoke comparisons to Giacometti, Licha doesn’t see him as an influence, describing his art as emotionally sad to her own. Instead, she draws inspiration from choreographer Pina Bausch and modern dance, focusing on movement and the idea of humans "floating" through life. Licha views her sculptures as deeply personal, responding to her emotions during their creation. Ea...

Plaster positive space from negative clay tiles I really like how these plaster blocks photographed. I wanted to show the mark making the best way I could using good lighting. with the right angles, I was able to create some great contrasting shadows showing all the detail. In future, I need to be more patient with the process however this isn't I technique I wish to continue with.  I really liked how these plaster blocks photographed. I aimed to showcase the mark-making as best as I could, using good lighting. With capturing the blocks from the right angle, I was able to capture striking shadows that highlighted all the details in great contrast. In the future, I’ll need to be more patient with the process, though I don’t plan to continue with this technique. Above is the broken lasagna sheets   Above is the print of the tree bark Above is the wool material that turned out better than I thought it would  

Mark making ceramic tiles I was eager to work with ceramics today, as it's a material I’m keen to explore. I gathered a few objects to press into the clay. I pressed pieces of lasagna into the clay tiles, causing them to break apart and create zigzag cracks. I also tried pressing wool material, but it didn’t work as well as I had hoped. I took my last tile piece outside pressing it into some bark on a tree I made the walls for my tiles and poured the plaster Overall, I wasn’t particularly impressed with this technique and felt a bit underwhelmed by the entire experience. I think I might need to reconsider the objects I use to press into the clay to create more interesting marks. However, I’ll wait for the final results, as they may turn out better than expected.

  Artist research Antony Gormley Below is an audio annotation on the reasons I like the work of Antony Gormley and materials I would like to explore with.