Interested by the artistic value of materials, and the inherent meaning they hold I have begun experimenting with changing their form. This change could occur due to my interaction but also through the effects of time, temperature, gravity or even through the interaction of a viewer of the work. I aim to explore the way in which these changes effect the value of the materials used. This could be from useful to useless, beautiful to ugly, valuable to worthless, or even alive to dead. Through changing materials, I am also interested in the uses their new forms may pose.

My first experimentation is with the material clay. In the video below, I handle a fistful of clay turning what once was one solid block into many tiny pieces over the course of 15 minutes.

In between the first and second set of photographs (the video wouldn’t upload) a couple hours have passed and the clay has dried, i am now turning the clay into dust. The traditional artists material clay is gone, in it’s place lays a dust no longer useable in the same way. However if i wanted, I could combine the dust with water and recreate clay from the dust, much like the clay was created using dirt originally. I find there is poetry in this cycle, and symbolism for my theme Memento Mori.

Exploring new ways in which the material could be used I’ve made an ink out of the clay dust, typography could have a powerful effect when combined with other mediums (sculpture or temporary collage?) and an interesting development of this concept.

I would be interested in continuing in this style, creating a more refined piece of work. This work feels unfinished. Combining mediums such as oil paint, typography or more layered collage could help this work become more finalised and complete.