Final Year Project
Through my work in my final year at Uni, I explored the way we interact with objects and so, leading from this, the reasons why we choose to own certain objects; the battle between/combination of beauty and function.
Having always been inspired by nature as a visual and conceptual source, I chose to create a collection based on the four elements of the earth and how they manipulate and constantly change the landscape-specifically the coastline of Harris in the Western Isles of Scotland, somewhere I feel a close connection to.
I am particularly interested in the beauty we perhaps do not see, such as momentary actions or interactions we take for granted or just take no notice of; those momentary actions that over time create their own piece of art in the land, such as a wave rolling onto the shore and retreating back to the depths of the ocean. Taking these ‘moments’ and immortalising them in a tangible way through the mediums of ceramics and glass has been my main aim this year. I was also exploring the act of collecting beach 'treasures' and looking at why we do this. Through my collections this year I wanted to recreate that sequence of emotions from the feeling of discovery to attachment to nostalgia, from the memory now held within said object.
I aimed to evoke a sense of personality and immediate connection in the pieces I made by including the viewer in the experience through interaction. I wanted to create objects that give the consumer a decision to make; to use them as functional utensils, to display them as ornamental pieces or to do both.
Initial material tests: (Sep/Oct 2014)
Primary research: sequence photography-capturing a moment in time.
Translating my primary research into process to produce 'splash' effect glass pieces:
These are the slumped results. Due to the delicacy of the piece of glass, it has picked up the detail in the organically made mold really well which gives it a very interesting texture which interacts with light in a beautiful and intriguing manner.
Back to inspiration
Early April this year, I visited the source of my inspiration for this year's project to collect some more primary research that I hope will inform my final weeks at uni and my finals for Degree Show.
Draping Technique Development; Collection One
After a gruelling few months of trial and error, I was finally successful in the free fall draping process.
I could then focus on finishing my second larger collection of ceramic pieces with glass elements.
I could then focus on finishing my second larger collection of ceramic pieces with glass elements.