Well I guess all things come to an end but, I must say I will miss Hornsby TAFE ceramics department. I have been there for seven years, longer than I have stayed in several jobs!
However I am looking forward to investigating other forms of sculpture. It has to be said that ceramic work seems to have a stigma attached to it in the Fine Art world and does not fit comfortably into contemporary sculptural practices. It is generally acknowledged that there is a hierarchy in the Fine Arts, with painting at the apex, followed by sculpture, with ceramics somewhere down the list but a hierarchy also exists within sculptural practices. I am not sure what would constitute the apex but certainly marble carving and bronze cast work are right up there while ceramic sculpture again is way down the list.
I find this somewhat ironic since most contemporary bronze work is first modelled in clay, at which point the sculptor’s active involvement in the artistic process ceases and the work is handed over to be professionally cast in a foundry.
Having said that however, I have to admit that ceramic sculpture does suffer from some specific “challenges”, the main one being that it is restricted in size both by the nature of the material and the size of the kiln, unless made in multiple pieces and joined, something which is not always possible or desirable. This restriction in size is particularly problematic when designing outdoor sculptures where a certain size is necessary in order for the sculpture not to be dwarfed by the surrounding environment. Surface finish, as protection against the weather, is another consideration for outdoor ceramic sculpture, less so in Australia where the climate is fairly temperate. In extreme climates, with sub zero temperatures, outdoor ceramic sculpture is not a viable option.
So I am looking on this year as a voyage of discovery in the world of sculptural media and I plan to update this blog with my findings!
Watch this spaceJ
