Sunday, September 21, 2008

oh please...let's not talk shop


I am experimenting with the ideals of a lost and bygone era in cinematic history. By using imagery from silent film stars and "talkies" I am exploring the quintessence of this time seen in the media. The beginning of film is an important cog in the machine of documenting art and history.


My approach to the terracotta is rough, bordering around an elegant and smooth surface of figures. This gives the feeling of a long lost, precious object that was found in an archaeological excavation. I did a multi-layered stencil with black, grey, and white slips to the first few. I decided not to use colored slips for the imagery to keep the feel of silent films. However I plan to use colored glazes in the next firing - giving tribute to the creative awakening at the turn of the century which gave way to colored film, and new technologies. I am also experimenting with terra sigillatas & scraffito and working with figures from old photos & film stills in slab slice tiles to mass produce in a press mold.

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