BA (Hons) Ceramics 2005 |
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Sarah Walker Tel 07751 015078 |
The neck can be a very sensual area of the body, appearing both elegant and graceful. It is also the part of the body that all information sent from the brain travels through to reach the rest of the body. For this, the structure of the neck has to be strong and able to absorb shocks, whilst the skin protects the inner configuration from damage from elements or actions. With the appearance and function, the neck can give a strong feeling of vulnerability. Both skin and clay hold the ability to record a memory. Each can present testimony to a movement, action or event, and present evidence to an observer, whether it is a cut, scar or crease in the skin or a tear, stretch or marking of the clay. My series of work has been to explore the memory of clay by manipulating forms by using both my hands and the process of throwing on the potters wheel. The forms are produced in a controlled manner on the wheel and are then torn, grabbed and stretched by my hands and through the speed in which the work spins on the potters wheel in an impulsive and spontaneous action to create the feeling of vulnerability and tension. The movements of my hands are recorded in the forms and dictate the eventual outcome. The torn edges of the forms add a feeling of fragility whilst the presence of the tear allows the viewers eye to be drawn inside the work and look past the outside surface. This is also aided by the application of glaze to the inside of the forms. The outside of the forms have remained more natural and tactile, the surface of the clay is reminiscent to that of the skin. I have applied glazes to the inner walls to create a feeling of preciousness. This reinforces the concept that the outside is protecting and defending the inside from any events or actions. |
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The human neck has always had the ability to represent a number of emotions and feelings. My personal associations with the neck have been to explore the physical reaction that occurs during certain situations. Whether it is the feeling of having a lump in the throat when upset, or the sense of restriction when nervous or scared, the neck seems to give a physical symptom to a person's psychological anxiety. 
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