My initial concept on undertaking the AA2A scheme was to develop a body of work exploring emotion in three-dimensional form. I aimed to achieve this through creating moulds from my body making casts in porcelain which would be embedded in raw terracotta clay.

Whilst on the scheme I undertook several experiments to see how I might express the bodily sensations of emotion using clay, plaster and fired porcelain. It became apparent that the work could develop in many ways. The approach I took was to allow process to lead the way. The ‘act’ of making became as important as the objects; I was interested in how both object and process could be central to the final pieces. As opposed to using casts from my body, I wanted to use a ‘living’ body and create live art works.

For the final exhibition, I built a human-scale upturned clay vessel with a small entrance through which a naked woman would enter and stand still for the entirety of the preview. However, on completion, the vessel collapsed. This, I felt, became a poignant happening in the process and the collapsed form became a work in its own right.

Thirty-three hand built, green, earthenware bricks and thirty-two fired, porcelain spheres was exactly what it said. Nevertheless, the spheres were not visible as they were contained within the bricks. The possibility or potential for a performance in which the bricks would be broken remained in mind. Exhibited on a trolley from the studio, there was an emphasis on the transitory and how the exhibition marked a ‘pause’ in the process.

The AA2A scheme gave me the opportunity to experiment with materials and work on a much larger scale. I found the technical support and college resources invaluable. Also, to work in the vibrant environment alongside students was a pleasure and something of real value for me.

'Thirty-three hand built, green, earthenware bricks and thirty-two fired, porcelain spheres. '
Thirty-three hand built, green, earthenware bricks and thirty-two fired, porcelain spheres