Branch and Terracotta
My final collection is a body of functioning sculptures in ceramic and wood. These works aim to bring elements of the natural world inside the home. The works come in a variety of scales and are to be used for domestic plants and therefore designed to be life encouraging and sustaining for both the plant and the owner.
As the name of the body of work, ‘Branch and Terracotta’ suggest, the pieces are made from fallen trees from Cardiff’s many parks, trails and even railroad sides, and are incorporated with hand build, bespoke terracotta pots to hold, display and aid plants in their growth. Each branch is purposefully selected and once in the studio, I work with the complex form to construct bespoke forms directly onto the branch, using the coil method of building.
I exploit the material characteristics of both the wood for structure and the ceramic for its porosity, so the nature of the ceramic combined with strong moss-covered branches creates a system designed for growth within the pot as well as supporting new and current life on the structure. My work has low impact on the environment and is a very sustainable way of working as I’m taking waste/discarded wood I find on walks and using an easily sourced low firing clay which can also be sourced from nature. My aim for the future of this work is to expand not only the scale and span of the pieces, but also to build larger site-specific structures in public areas.
Mae’r gasgliad yma yn gorff o gerfluniau gweithredol mewn cerameg a bren. Nod y gweithiau yma yw i ddod ag elfennau o’r byd naturiol tu mewn i’r cartref. Mae yma amrywiaeth o meintiay ac maent i’w ddefnyddio ar gyfer planhigion domestig ac felly wedi’u cynllunio i roi bywyd a chynnal i’r planhigyn a’r perchennog.
Fel y mae enw’r gasgliad yn awgrymu, ‘Branch & Terracotta’, mae’r darnau wedi’u gwneud o goed dwi wedi casglu o’r lawer o barciau, llwybrau ag o ochrau’r rheilffyrdd yng Nghaerdydd. Mae’r pren yn gweitho hefo clai terracotta wedi eu adeiladu â llaw. Mae’r potiau terracotta yn bwrpasol; i ddal, arddangos a cynorthwyo planhigion yn eu tyfiant. Mae pob cangen wedi’i dewis yn bwrpasol ag yn y stiwdio rwy’n gweithio gyda’r ffurf gymhleth i adeiladu ffurflenni pwrpasol yn uniongyrchol ar y gangen, gan ddefnyddio’r dull coil o adeiladu.
Rwy’n defnyddio’r nodweddion materol y pren a’r serameg am ei mandylledd, felly mae natur y serameg ynghyd â changhennau cryf wedi’u gorchuddio â mwsogl yn creu system ar gyfer tyfiant yn y pot ynghyd â chynnal bywyd newydd a chyfredol ar y strwythur. Nid yw fy ngwaith cael effaith mawr ar yr amgylchedd, mae’n ffordd gynaliadwy iawn o weithio gan fy mod i’n mynd â phren gwastraff neu pren sudd wedi’i daflu. Rwyf yn defnyddio clai tanio isel o ffynonellau hawdd y gellir ei gael o natur hefyd. Fy nod ar gyfer dyfodol y gwaith hwn yw ehangu y graddfa y ddarnau ac hefyd i adeiladu strwythurau mwy penodol i’r safle mewn ardaloedd cyhoeddus.
Abbie’s Studio Space
