The myriad states of clay...

So often, when working with clay, we fixate on the soft, ‘plastic’ state of this hugely versatile material. - In the ‘slurry’ state we bemoan the effort required to reclaim it back into the familiar homogeneous condition. When bone-dry we think of it as “fixed”, finished even, and ready for the kiln or the reclaim bin. Slips, those wondrous silky liquid clays, are (only) used for decorating, or joining other pieces of clay: These fixed ideas about the material are ripe for questioning, and their boundaries are pregnant with potential.

From a ‘Fine Art’ or Conceptual point of view, and surly from a practical, objective standpoint too, each state of this material has something unique to offer, and a key discussion missing from many educational environments concerns how useful or accurate many of the Terms of reference actually are.

We readily forget that clay is a key ingredient in glazes, and that clay itself can flux and melt given the right temperature.

The process of ‘Slaking’ bone-dry clay down in water produces a silt, and is testament to the fact that it is still clay, and has not yet undergone that alchemic change to Ceramic. This intermediary process is often a step towards reclaim, or used when refining raw or ‘wild’ clays so that they can be easily screened or sieved. Conceptually, and visually, it reminds us of precious cargo lost at sea, resting in silent silt beds, preserved, awaiting discovery and rebirth. When seen in a glass tank, the action appears to animate the invisible motion and entropic power of otherwise benign water. And, here, the fragile ring of silt sits as an echo of a once solid form, as if hanging by a thread susceptible to the tiniest of disturbances to it’s host environment.

Again the idea of creating work via an action usually understood as destructive, returns to mind.