I talk a lot of pompous guff about making art in response to the ‘reckless behaviour of man’? Yet, how can I claim to care for my planet and, at the same time, talk about artists needing to hold everyone to account for the damage we are doing to our World whilst, at the same time, making artefacts which will last for ever? Ceramics, more than most art media is guilty of adding to the problem so what right do I have to preach about it?
In an attempt to solve this dilemma I have been having conversations and trialling some new ideas: work which is still made with clay as the main material but where the clay is not fired. Technically, it isn’t ceramic as it never goes through the chemical changes which the kiln subjects clay to. The good thing is that it can be returned to the earth when finished with and won’t hang around until the end of time. The question that I am left with is, why would anyone buy something which could disappear in the next shower of rain?
I begin to think that I might be getting there. Recent experiments are looking quite promising.
It seems that polishing raw clay has been going on for centuries and Japanese Hikaru Dorodango, polished spheres from mud which are very beautiful and fetch hundreds of pounds so . . . .
Bridget Macklin 