Slab work - 2023-25

Slab construction is a relatively new obsession in my work. Having done a little bit back in the nineties, I reacquainted myself with the techniques while teaching in 2023. I love the rhythm of the construction after that of wheel work. The pace of slab construction is very different, and I love its almost architectural nature. I use a lot of paper cut-out patterns to design pieces, laying them onto the slabs, cutting out the clay shapes, and fitting them together, sometimes twisting and distorting them. A lot of the patterns are based on classical forms but with distorted proportions. I use coloured slips as the ground for carving various patterns on the faceted surfaces of the constructed forms. I work in a variety of scales, from large scale to miniature.