The Weight of Clay

Pendulum (Weight of Clay) 

Coil-built ceramic, porcelain parts, multi-fired with slips, glazes, waxed linen twine
25” x 5” x 3.5”

sold

Part of the interaction for the viewer is the intimacy of having to come right up to it and look up under to see the eyes.  The gallery did a beautiful job installing it higher so it looks suspended and mysteriously gazing downward.

This is one of the pieces that was hard to photograph.  It looks so different hanging up.  I had to build it on a flat surface. Then it was cut in pieces to get into the kiln.  I decided to leave all the cut lines apparent.  Once everything was epoxied and set I was able to work on the clay pendulum.   While building this piece I thought the pendulum should fall just below the knees.  Once the piece was on the wall, it took on a different feel.   I realized that the pendulum needed to fall below the feet.  More of a balancing act feeling. A feeling of the give and take of process. Of contemplation.  Time suspended. Holding onto something with that lump of clay.  Many possibilities, many little stories threaded together.