Untitled Document

n e l l d e v i t t

I am challenged by the process of making clay tiles using a simple, smoke firing method. Working from drawings, several distinctly different image ideas have evolved but I am always motivated to simplify, to fit the process. It is in this way that the clay itself has determined the direction that my work has taken. There are endless possibilities, but with smoke firing I experience a direct connection between the parameters which limit choices technically and the resulting aesthetic impact. technique. These clay tiles are made by hand using a slab roller. A template is then pressed into the clay to produce the basic pattern. Textural detail is added by incising, carving and scraping. A clay slip is applied to areas for the semi-gloss surface. The black color and straw marks are the result of a post-firing technique of smoking . When the clay reaches maturation temperature in the kiln, the tiles are individually removed with a pair of tongs and placed in a closed reduction chamber full of straw.The straw ignites, oxygen is cut off, carbon molecules enter the clay - the tile is changing. This technique produces the highly irregular, imperfect and uneven surface. Because of their fragility, the tiles are appropriate for interior use only, as long term exposure to direct sunlight will lighten the surface.