the weaver...

<p dir="ltr">Research Background: My research explores making through experiential encounters. The artist Tadao Ando emphasises the concept of sensation through physical experiences. My intention was to create ceramic artwork in response to the immersive experience of being inside the tapestry workshop. The final artwork, a tableau, sat in a liminal space, as described by French philosopher Maurice Merlou-Ponty, objects caught in a kind of suspense between what was and what will be. </p><p dir="ltr">Research Contribution: My ceramic artwork, the weaver… was created from an immersive artist residency at Australian Tapestry Workshop. During the residency I developed new ways of working with clay to express and interpret the process of weaving. I collected the discarded woollen threads from the weavers and used a liquid clay immersion technique which changed the ephemeral nature of the wool to the permanence of fired clay. I used casting techniques to capture different objects within the workshop. </p><p dir="ltr">Research Significance: The Australian Tapestry Workshop has a national and international artist residency program. I was one of six artists selected for the 2022 residency program, culminating with an exhibition of the art works created during the residency. It was significant to have a ceramic artist working in a textile environment. During the residency I held a public workshop at and funded by Australian Tapestry Workshop that used porcelain clay in a weaving process.</p>