Feature - Slipcast tableware - A personal approach to design and production



‘Cups’, slip cast, porcelaineous stoneware, chun glaze, Cone 10 reduction, h.11cm		A new direction has unfolded for me over the past two years. This direction has seen exploration into porcelain slip casting bodies, moulds as a method of making and the development of a complimentary range of glazes. It has also generated a personal renaissance for making in clay. Little things mean a lot! A close friend told me of a conversation that had taken place about a piece of mine. The words that ring in my ears are "why does he decorate them". Now you could interpret that statement in many ways depending on the day. Offence was one possible response but it was a good day, and so to me it suggested that the form could stand alone, and so after a little pondering I let the forms do just that and dropped the decorating. During my time at college my lecturers noted my weakness with design and decoration and typical of most teachers encouraged me to work on it. Letting the decoration go has been a leftover from college knotted within a ball of string somewhere within my subconscious. Currently we produce and wholesale a range of high fired forms under the name of Chris James Ceramic Design. These forms are understated and free of applied decoration ranging in scale from a 400mm droplet vase to 80mm translucent shot cups.

Influences in my work have remained constant for many years with each coming to the fore at different times. These include space and the planets, futurism, science fiction, architecture and organic form. They all have their place. Lately my love of the ocean has taken the fore and the current range draws heavily on the nature of fluids and at times the human form. I have tried to capture the essence of this quality in the droplet range and the most obviously named flow vase. I gravitate toward fairly simple forms with meditative calming curves.. Iâd like to think that these pieces could fit seamlessly into a contemporary home or a space in 2200. When designing forms to be created using the casting process you realise fairly quickly that the process has a fair hand in the nature of the form. It often takes three prototypes laboriously crafted in plaster or foam before the form is allowed anywhere near production; each prototype has to be absolutely right or youâre stuck with it, loathe to let go after such an investment of time. Allowing for the movement that takes place in pyroplastic porcellaneous bodies is a major design consideration which has generated some real technical brain teasers, at times the safety of 1000c looks very inviting but the strength and quality feel keeps the work at 1285 for now. Although there are whiter clays available I have concentrated on working with Australian materials for the body. The porcellaneous casting body that has developed shows a warm golden translucency and represents two years of testing and several compromises. It can be whiter but then the plasticity is reduced making it unforgiving; the clay can also be more translucent but the compromise is pyroplastic warpage. So at present it teeters in a happy position satisfying my own criteria and doing it all consistently. As a matter of fact, consistency is a word that sums up one of the greatest challenges presented by this endeavor. Fairly quickly we started consuming more porcelain than we were able to prepare and so Keane Ceramics are now taking care of the preparation and this saving in time has helped us to concentrate on developing fresh new forms for the range.		'Sushi Plate', clear glaze, SW oxidation, l. 29cm (continued) Creating commercially viable work to a high standard presents a huge challenge. The wheel is a fantastic tool for creating ceramic forms. The variables involved in creating forms of uniform dimension on the wheel are numerous. Training another to create your forms to your specs creates even more variables, hence the mold has been utilised for the manufacturing process and is essential to consistent product. Thereâs that word again - Consistency. Teaching within the TAFE system for the past 14 years, I have been aware of the need for real life on the job training in the studio ceramic field to consolidate the foundation developed within the institution; there are so few opportunities for this in Australia. The idea of complimenting tafe training with on the job experience has been very appealing and essential to the current product direction. The move toward creating repeatable forms in clay has generated the opportunity to include Natalie Velthhuyzen in the manufacturing process. It is all too easy when creating work to fill every role because it seems easier to do it yourself than spend the time explaining the process to another. Handing over responsibility as a maker can be quite challenging in many ways. The trap with the mindset of fulfilling every role within the production process is that little time is available for the development of new forms because of your commitment to current orders.

email-chris.ceramic.designs@telstra.com www.ceramicdesign.com.au Photos: Design 17