White Totem

Description

This totem explores a monumentality possible in clay, which is generally regarded as a fragile medium. The different sections of the work leads the viewer’s eye through different textural areas, starting with a dark grounded base and leading up to the light and more free top section. The work is taller than human scale – and wider – so it becomes a very strong presence in the environment. It invites touch, and invites the viewer to interact with it from afar and also closer up, with the texture and colour nuances.

This piece was hand coiled, using terracotta earthenware clay. It was built in layers from the ground up in four separate sections, which slot into one another. It was fired to 1040 degrees celsius. The tricky part of building these forms is that you cannot check the fit of the different pieces until after the bisque firing, when you can finally put the pieces together. In my kiln the firing of one totem takes 30 days of kiln time. The total production time of each completed object, which includes building, surface work and firing, is about 80 days.