I am now entering the 2nd month of the residency at Fundacion Gruber Jez. The master sculptor here, Gerda Gruber, has taught me the process of slip casting and i have produced some small sculptures which have yet to be fired. Sadly the kiln died last week and we are hoping that a small test kiln arriving tomorrow will have enough space to fire my sculptural works but we will have to see. If not, then i can probably take the regular clay unfired pieces to The Netherlands in February and they can be fired there but the unfired porcelain slip cast pieces are too fragile to transport on the plane. Fingers crossed!
My next project after learning slip pouring was to begin an edition of “book-cages” for my exhibition in Turin in February. I managed to acquire some cane from a basket maker in Munich before coming here and have now created the framework of a series of 6 cages of different sizes. I have also make a pair of clay legs for each cage – hybrids of human and animal legs. ( yet to be ..hopefully..fired) Now i need to strengthen the cages so that they can hold the weight of the legs and of the wings that i plan to make and attach. I am experimenting with using a famous Mexican agave plant called ‘henequen’ to wrap around the cane and in combination with wood glue, it seems to be very strong.
Here are some pictures of the work in progress.
Drawing of winged cage minus legs
2 of the cane cages in early pre henquen stage
Clay legs drying.
the work so far
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