Coming back from Christmas I started looking at my ideas and continuing research and developing them into something 3D. For me, I find a huge part of developing a project is making it through trial and error. Although creating mind maps and doing research is also important I learn the most while I have my hands on the material.
I began the week with throwing, I knew I wanted to look at ergonomic work and i wanted my “canvas” for this work to be thrown mugs. Using a wheel as a tool and not spending hours trying to perfect work completely changes how I throw. I wanted to throw as many cylinders as possible without using many tools, trying to allow my finger marks to have a hold on the pieces. A huge influence in this was work I had looked at in museums. The V&A and British Museum both have a large collection of ceramic work from the medieval period which shows the finger marks of the maker on them. I love this idea that I could place my fingers in the same place someone from hundreds of years ago has, and that i can create work that also has that permanent mark.
I decided to look at how a hold on the mug would affect it as I take a piece off the wheel, instead of being delicate and trying to stop marks from breaking the surface of a piece I wanted to enhance this. On the 13th I pulled handles to add to these cylinders. Pulling handles is the perfect way to create a piece with a maker’s mark on it. Pulled handles are also naturally ergonomic since they are made under the pressure of your hand.
For this week the idea of “natural” and “traditional” ergonomics overtook my work. I loved the outcome, they perfectly linked with the work I had been looking at including Simon Carrrol’s and Joanna Still’s expressive work. A key element in both these ceramicists work is their use of their hands in their mark-making. I worked with Joanna last year and spoke to her in-depth about how and why she has these deep marks surrounding her huge vessels. I wanted to take what I had learned with her about putting your mood and emotions into the work you’re creating, making each piece hold different energy.
On the weekend I saw a handle on a butter dish lid that had an abstract but perfectly ergonomic handle. This completely changed how I saw my project. I wanted to look at more abstract work, and how pieces can look unattractive and unappealing to hold but once they’re in the hand they can fit perfectly.