FIRE VESSEL
Porcelain, wood fired to Cone 12. 13″L x 9″W x 12″H. Cobb, Ca. 2023.
This new body of work was inspired by the drought being experienced in California as a result of climate change and the impact of fire on the environment and on the human and nonhuman communities that inhabit the region. This work, made during my time as an Artist-in-Residence at Cobb Mountain Art and Ecology Project, is comprised of numerous plants which have been identified and collected from the property within a mile radius of my studio, using ethical harvesting methodology. The plants are dipped in porcelain slip and then fired to cone 10, burning away the organic matter. They are then assembled on a thrown and hand-built porcelain candlestick, and bound in place with high temperature wire and egyptian paste. After unloading, the remains of the wire framework is removed.
In descending order:
- fired for twelve days to Cone 12 in Scott Parady’s anagama wood kiln at Cobb Mountain Art and Ecology Project.
- fired for three days to Cone 10 and reduction cooled in Scott Parady’s train kiln, led by Hideo Mabuchi.
- fired for three days to Cone 10 and reduction cooled in Scott Parady’s train kiln, led by Hideo Mabuchi. Electric fired to Cone 5.
- fired to Cone 10 in Scott Parady’s Wood and Soda kiln.