Author: michellesx

Materials that I will be using throughout my experiments.

Clay:

Pottery is clay that is modeled, dried, and fired, usually with a glaze or finish, into a vessel or decorative object. Clay is a natural product dug from the earth. It is important to note that a clay body is not the same thing as clay. Clay bodies are clay mixed with additives that give the clay different properties when worked and fired; thus pottery is not made from raw clay but a mixture of clay and other materials.

Clay may be modeled by hand or with the assistance of a potter’s wheel, may be jiggered using a tool that copies the form of a master model onto a production piece, may be poured into a mould and dried, or cut or stamped into squares or slabs. The methods for forming pottery is as varied as the artisans who create them.

Pottery must be fired to a temperature high enough to mature the clay, meaning that the high temperature hardens the piece to enable it to hold water.

Reference:

 http://www.madehow.com/Volume-4/Pottery.html#ixzz5iX0NVMQm

Clay is a malleable substance, which means it can easily be moulded by hand so that you can create a piece of work that is personalised, unique and individual to the artist. I like the idea of my work being hand made by clay to create something that is different to other works of art and to me art is about expressing your individual perspective on things and connecting to other people through the message you portray, however by using clay this also means that the art that it would be able to be mass produced as by creating a mould (using the original clay work) so it would save time and money.

Clay is also a material that can be continued to be worked on as long as is stays wet and does not have the chance to dry as by spraying it with water then wrapping it up in plastic to make it air tight it will stop the clay from drying so that you can continue to develop the piece of work and add further details. I like the idea that I can continue to work on it as long as the clay is wet as it means that I do not have to rush working on it and risk it being a low quality piece of work.

When researching about clay I also discovered that it allows you, once fired to be painted or other materials can be added. Further more clay while wet also allows you to add other materials such as wire or fabrics and then once the clay has dried it holds it in place.

Clay also allows you to create texture and detail as by pressing in fabric you can indent the pattern onto the clay, or you can use objects that create the texture that you want, having learned this I plan to use fabric and other objects to help me to create detail and texture into my work to express further the impact of domestic violence.

The characteristics of clay have positive effects from an environmental and health perspective as clay is a natural binder, and it obtains its firmness simply from air drying, no chemical binding is necessary it is also made from a natural substance which is also why I have chosen this material as I have learned from my last project ‘futures’ is that future artists and designers will be/should be using more eco friendly materials.

Wire:

Wire is available in many different lengths and different types of flexibility.  the metal wire, is usually made by a process of heating and stretching. Wire is used in many industries and can be easily brought. It comes in a single strand or several strands twisted together. Wire is made of different metals like aluminium, bronze, copper or steel and has different gauges. A gauge is the thickness of the wire’s diameter. The larger the gauge, the thinner the wire.

wire is a material that can create a strong sculpture with detail and simplicity too, as all it is, is a thin line/metal strip that can be layered to create a 3D sculpture. it is flexible and allows you to bend it when heated or when at normal temperature which means that when you are working on it you are able to adjust or go back on what you have done and if you make a mistake you can reheat it and correct the error, but once left to cool it becomes a strong, clear and simple but effective piece.

Through experimenting I have learned that copper sheets and high temperature wire can be used for glass slumping as the metals can withstand the high temperatures needed to fuse together the glass this then creates a melted glass slap thats two pieces of glass moulded into one another with the metal wire sandwiched within the glass that creates a pattern or shape.

(2019). Great instructions for slumping these draping, thermal shock, fused glass art, glass slumping | Fused Glass | Glass fusing projects, Fused glass art, Fused Glass. [online] Available at: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/13370130120580336/ [Accessed 4 Apr. Glass-

fusing-made-easy.com. (2019). Glass Fusing Information. [online] Available at: https://www.glass-fusing-made-easy.com/ [Accessed 4 Apr. 2019].

glass 

Glass recycling is particularly possible. It can be recycled again and again without losing any quality. New glass is only required to keep up with growing demand and because some glass is never collected and put back into the system. Glass is not the only product that can be made.