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ceramic ist ↓ stuff made of clay s/o who does an action ↙ A hard brittle material by firing Κεραμί στας
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ceramicist ↓ stuff made of clay s/o who does an action ↙ A hard brittle material by firing Κεραμίστας 1840–50; variant of keramic < Greek keramikós, ’of pottery’ kéram ( os ) potters' clay + -ikos-ic↙
‘’I am not an artist. I just do my work.’’ Making with clay is a labour of love and this extends to all the facets of my making. I don’t use ready-made glazes or toxic materials. Sustainable materials and processes are important to me. This is another reason I use terra sig in my practice. Preparation of terra sig requires some effort, good judgement, a fair amount of patience and a willingness to experiment.
‘’The clay-body from which the pot is made is functionally connected with the way it is made, hence with its final aesthetic effect.’’ Philip Rawson’s book strives to explain and stress the relevance of details concerning materials and techniques which are part of the realisation of ideas. This concept of the relationship of materials and processes to ideas is what I got from field modules. I work /think through process and not think of end product.
Form (surface, texture and colour)reflects not only the reality of its material and making process but also reflects into the mind of the viewer a deep complex range of meanings. This immediacy of expression interests me. Non verbal language converged through form and surface. Surface of the form is the border between the inner and outer. It reflects these non verbal languages coming from within (maker) and the outer (viewer)
Clay has always captivated me. The simplicity and complexities of this material is what feeds my curiosity and my creativity. I admire the traditional technical processes of the past and believe I can take my work a step forward but not without mastering and understanding clay…clay as the body of ware and as its glaze. I have an idea and I need to visualise it through my vessels and in particular, the surface. At the same time, I feel it is important that my work is sustainable and that my making process is the least possible harmful to the environment. Terra Sig provides the simplicity and sophistication that I am looking for. I have chosen to experiment and play with terra sig because I want to challenge its strict application. It gives me the sustainability I want, the stability I want and texture I love but I want to push its boundaries in the application.
‘’But this is actually something that I think is so vital to the creative process… I didn’t know at the time, but I find it incredibly comforting now — it’s something that Steven Johnson writes about in Where Good Ideas Come From, this idea of the “the slow churn” … just following these different paths, the things that intrigue you, and allowing them to simmer in there until something fires in your brain and all of a sudden these connections happen.’’ Rachael Sussman American artist, author of ‘The oldest living things in the world’