Poceline slip ceramics session- Counter Culture brief

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 fired in the kiln. I’m really excited to see how this test piece will turn out, as it aligns with the direction I want to pursue and tells a meaningful story. I’d love to create this on a larger scale.

Below is the hessian spiral that is dry and ready to be fired. However, the kiln has broken down and I don't know when it will be up and running again. In the meantime, I will try and explore other options.