BA (Hons) Ceramics 2004 

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Stephanie Burwitz

Tel 01270 875895 • Mob 07734 443572
Email sburwitz35@hotmail.com

My work is based on obsessions and compulsions such as placing things or touching something in a certain way. 

Through clay I wish to convey what an obsessive compulsive feels throughout their day-to-day life, showing how an intensive thought can lead to the obsessive compulsive to become distressed.  It is not a specific obsession that I am focusing on but the way that the obsession makes a person feel.  My pieces demonstrate the feeling of agitation and irritation that become so overwhelming they take over ones sense of self-control. 

My pieces are made by pinching small pieces of clay together, a very repetitive process, however, it is necessary to do this to demonstrate the obsessive compulsive content of the work. 

Sewing into clay is used because of its repetitive process, the persistence of the stitch represents the obsessive compulsive action.

Porcelain is used because it is a very delicate and translucent material.  I see the obsessional figure as a very fragile form and the material of my pieces reflects this.  The terracotta is used as a direct opposite to the pure porcelain, showing how the obsessive compulsive can feel strong yet still not be in control.

Each piece is made from two layers of clay, these layers are brought together by sewing and embossing words onto the surface, binding the layers together.  The layers of the clay represent the many layers of people and how an obsessive compulsive can hide their feelings.  Words relating to how my own obsessions make me feel are etched, pressed or sewn into each piece, becoming part of it. 

“The obsessional personality is generally considered as characterised by orderliness, meticulousness, parsimony, neatness, and perfectionism.  Some consider obsessive-compulsive disorder to be necessarily related to obsessional personality.  However, clinical evidence shows that many obsessive-compulsive patients do not have a premorbid obsessional personality.  Equally, a large majority of individuals with an obsessional personality do not develop the disorder at all” (Adult psychological problems, Champion and Power).