| A City dialogue
The Small City began with glass as the building
blocks to convey some impressions evoked by
the surrounding layered depths of culture.
The eloquence of ceramic practice from fundamental
utilitarian wares of the millennium ceramic
businesses, and the exquisite hand painted porcelain
urinals, to the sublime objects of contemporary
craft were evident everyday in Seto. Steeped
in these references I placed myself in the context
of contemporary studio practice, and went for
broke.
The time frame, cultural comparison, and appreciation
of difference partially informed my approach,
and otherwise I sought external visual references.
There is a microcosmic narrative in each piece
that draws upon local architectural references
such as the Kamagaki-no-Kominchi walls, to the
pavements outside the local Pachinko palace,
and the fabulous Nagoya castle, to the local
central civic centre. Also by being here I witnessed
the riot and richness of pattern and texture
of visual location in Japan, as it was a constant
reference in what I aimed to capture. From personal
examination to everyday dialogue and professional
observation in Seto, Aichi prefecture offered
such a plethora of rich experiences.
The opportunity to be immersed in the generation
of new work removed from the usual life imperatives
in Australia was priceless, and allowed me to
explore a new direction that specifically book-marked
this chapter of my professional development.
I was able to make this city with the generosity
of the program, great studio assistance, and
have been inspired by professionals of exceptional
quality and expertise, that are both training
and resident in the Seto Ceramic and Glass Centre.
My assistants have been indispensable in producing
this body of work in such a short period of
time, and a secure acceptance of my place within
the busy glass studio structure has meant a
great degree of comfort-ability.
The process of articulation involved blowing
and hot forming the individual pieces sometimes
with colour or silver leaf inclusions, then
carving and reducing the surface to refine the
forms. I engraved the surface with diamond points
before painting the surface. Lastly the works
were picked up again by being preheated in a
kiln, and the surface was fire polished in the
glory hole before final annealing.
Elizabeth Kelly
February 2008. |
