These mixed media works are born of fire and intentional imperfection. The process begins with ceramic tiles subjected to Obvara, a traditional Eastern European Raku firing technique. The ceramic is heated to over 1600°F and then exposed to a fermented mixture of flour, water, sugar and yeast. This violent temperature shock creates unpredictable, wild spectrums of color from deep blacks and browns to stark whites, imbuing each surface with uncontrollable and unrepeatable detailing.
Following the firing, the tiles undergo a transformation. Some fracture accidentally during the intense heat, while others were broken intentionally, blurring the line between natural occurrence and artistic nurture. As I am inspired by that which I can not control through elemental means, I find great beauty in the imperfect and I have meticulously adhered these fractures with copper tape. These bright metals highlights the fissures, turning the breaks into focal points rather than flaws.
The work is housed within custom frames I build myself. Each wooden frame is singed with open flame, echoing the intense heat that created the ceramic art it surrounds. The charred wood serves as a final touch, grounding the entire piece in the elemental process from which it was born.
The last image is a rendering of this piece to provide a sense of what it looks like in person.
Best kept in a low-light environment.
Ceramic and copper on wood panel
Douglas Fir frame
17” x 13.5” x 1.25”
6 lbs
These mixed media works are born of fire and intentional imperfection. The process begins with ceramic tiles subjected to Obvara, a traditional Eastern European Raku firing technique. The ceramic is heated to over 1600°F and then exposed to a fermented mixture of flour, water, sugar and yeast. This violent temperature shock creates unpredictable, wild spectrums of color from deep blacks and browns to stark whites, imbuing each surface with uncontrollable and unrepeatable detailing.
Following the firing, the tiles undergo a transformation. Some fracture accidentally during the intense heat, while others were broken intentionally, blurring the line between natural occurrence and artistic nurture. As I am inspired by that which I can not control through elemental means, I find great beauty in the imperfect and I have meticulously adhered these fractures with copper tape. These bright metals highlights the fissures, turning the breaks into focal points rather than flaws.
The work is housed within custom frames I build myself. Each wooden frame is singed with open flame, echoing the intense heat that created the ceramic art it surrounds. The charred wood serves as a final touch, grounding the entire piece in the elemental process from which it was born.
The last image is a rendering of this piece to provide a sense of what it looks like in person.
Best kept in a low-light environment.
Ceramic and copper on wood panel
Douglas Fir frame
17” x 13.5” x 1.25”
6 lbs
