Environmental Ceramics: Unproductive Production
2015
Plaster, porcelain slip, environment
A process of slip casting was designed to be counterintuitive to mass production. The conical and cylindrical molds involuntary roll once placed on a surface, rotating the slip around the interior. I liked the idea of a system of manufacture which could be game-like and performative. The mold could be pushed between two people, like a form of catch, or could be done with a larger community. It could be pushed down a hill, letting the terrain decide it's form, or could be set on a train, where a machine dictates it's form. The details of the casted form not only vary depending on the environment, but are literally dependent on, and reflective of the environment. I thought of this as a way to give agency back to material. Allowing the clay, which is of course sourced from the ground, to be manipulated by the ground itself.
A series of porcelain cups were created from this process. They serve eating and drinking purposes. Ideally this way of manufacture would be done by a group or collective, and the functions of these cups would vary over time depending on the needs of the present moment.