|
View Larger Image
|
|
“Viscus Notch,” 13 in. (33 cm) in height, silt-cast stoneware with colored terra sigillatas, dark clay wash and manganese glaze (interior), fired to Cone 3. Gryder says his forming process is “akin to drawing in the dark.”
|
|
October 8, 2007
Silt Casting Negative Forms
by Dori DeCamillis | Read Comments (1)
In today’s Ceramic Arts Daily, Chris
Gryder explains how he uses silt castings to create his uniquely shaped and
textured vessels and tiles. BackgroundEarly workInfluencesProcessesBACKGROUND
Chris Gryder began his exploration of art by
studying architecture. A sincere and dedicated commitment to the subject led to
his acquaintance with artists, methods and concepts that later became the
inspiration for his work in sculpture and clay. For three years, Gryder worked
in the field of architecture until a five-year stint in the desert of Arizona
turned his head to the world of sculpture.
EARLY WORK
Gryder lived and worked on Paolo Soleri’s
project “Arcosanti,” which had been developing prototypes for urban ideas since
the 1970s in a clay studio and bronze foundry 65 miles north of Phoenix. While Gryder
worked there building architectural pieces, he overwhelmingly responded to
building with his hands, a pastime used less and less in the field of
architecture. Working in the ceramic studio he gained rudimentary technical
knowledge and started playing with the idea of making molds in the negative.
INFLUENCES
Many of Gryder’s influences reach far back into
history, probably due to the proliferation of ornamental carved relief in
primitive cultures. Gryder’s technique lends a quality of aged or decayed
stone, reminiscent of ancient ruins. The success of Chris Gryder’s work lies in
his ability to combine and integrate so many opposing approaches to expression.
PROCESSES
 Gryder’s
pieces are fashioned in the negative. Explained in basic terms, he first builds
a box and fills it with packed silt. With his hands and simple tools, he carves
a negative into the silt, which will become the exterior of the vessel. From
there he pours commercial slip (with roughly the density of a thick milk shake)
into the carved cavity. The slip dries slightly over several hours until Gryder
scoops out all the slip that is still liquid. When the clay has dried
completely he breaks the mold and has a completed greenware piece. The surface
is then covered with neutral colors of terra sigillata.
Like
the exterior of the vessels, Gryder’s tile surfaces have a sandstone-like
quality. The two-dimensional aspect of tiles leaves room for more pictorial and
narrative exploration. The tiles as a group manifest themselves in large
wall-relief constructions, often 8 to 10 feet in length. Gryder starts by
developing the piece linearly, focusing on overall form.FOR MORE INFORMATIONSee a term you weren’t quite sure of? Then visit
the Ceramic Arts Daily Glossary. To see more of Chris Gryder’s work, visit Bennett
Galleries (www.bennettgalleries.com in Knoxville, Tennessee; Clark House
Gallery (www.clarkhousegallery.com in Bangor, Maine; Function + Art (www.functionart.com in Chicago, Illinois; Obsidian Gallery (www.obsidian-gallery.com in Tucson, Arizona; and Red Dot Gallery (www.reddotgallery.com in Birmingham, Alabama.ON WEDNESDAY
Read about Chris Gryder’s technique of using silt
to create the richly encrusted and serendipitous surfaces of his ceramics.
Read more about these related topics:
Ceramic Tile Ceramics Decorating Ceramic Art Techniques Ceramic Artists
|