Materials have inner self-referential lives but as humans we are perhaps most aware of their outer lives, the surface that interfaces with the outside world. Kaolin has been of interest to me since I started working with clay, and in particular porcelain, of which it is a critical component. The unique properties of kaolin mean it has typically been used mixed with other materials to generate a wide range of novel materials. I’ve been looking at the nature of pure kaolin aqueous suspensions in interaction with other materials. I’ve been particularly interested in its sculptural possibilities, and whether the result of these interactions might provide an opportunity to reflect on the nature of the is-ness of the material, and the process of transition from material to object and back again. Recent experimentation has included:
Kaolin suspended in water, mist-sprayed and dried on polythene
Traces on concrete
Slurry brushed on to vertical plastic sheet and dried
Slurry brushed on painted wall and dried
Glazed porcelain dipped into slurry, dried and refired
Slurry brushed between pages of book and fired
Slurry poured onto paper and dried
Slurry poured onto kaolin rock and dried
Slurry poured and screed onto concrete, showing wet and dried
Slurry screed on concrete – stages of drying
Traces on concrete
alan thomas 