Sara Carone is another artist who uses masking in conjunction with sawdust firings, relying on the ability of smoke to blacken clay to different intensities depending on the material it comes in contact with. Her thrown pieces, once turned, are burnished using the flat face of steel kidneys while the piece revolves on the wheel. They are then allowed to dry and bisque fired in a reducing atmosphere to alter the color to one of varying hues associated with reduction firing. This coloration will remain through the final firing adding extra interest in the work. A variety of fine clays of different colors are used.

Drawings are prepared to determine the designs. These are then transferred Thrown vessel by Sara Carone (Brazil). Sawdust fired using various “split tapes” used in the electronics industry.

Onto the objects using oil crayon, litho pencil, and various adhesive tapes of different widths and split tapes. Split tapes are very fine, strong, adhesive tapes used in the electronic industry to lay out designs of printed circuit boards. They can be bought from electronic suppliers.

After masking out the design, a layer of slip is applied followed by a glaze. The first layer is a mixture of kaolin and water the thickness of which is varied depending on the result required. The second layer, the glaze, is a simple manufactured alkaline frit. Again the thickness of this affects the final result. Thin kaolin and thick frit gives crackles and dots. Thin kaolin plus thin frit gives crackles, dots and grey tones. Thick kaolin and thick frit give crackles with dots surrounded by a grey halo. Some kaolin can be added to the frit to give a less fluxing coat which will also alter the effects.

After the application of the two layers, the tapes and masks are removed to expose the clay body and then refired in sawdust. The firing is a very controlled operation with the pieces being placed in particular ways to enable the application of sawdust during the firing to give areas of the higher or lower amounts of reduction.

The firing takes three hours to reach 850ºC where the frit will melt and then it is allowed to cool to 520ºC. The lid of the top-loading kiln is removed and small bags of sawdust are placed around the pieces. Sometimes the sawdust touches d the pots or just placed near. At other times, a piece is completely smothered depending on the intensity of reduction required. Some pieces are placed on stilts so that the smoke and sawdust can get to their bases while some other pieces have been leant against. This has the effects of the smoke. The more the frit has fluxed, the more resistant to the smoke it is.

The subtleties of color variation result from the very careful final firing. Decisions about the placement of the work are taken place. This also means the pieces need to be handled as little as possible thereby lessening the change of damaging the delicate coatings. Once the kiln has cooled, the pieces are removed and the frit/kaolin layer can be peeled away revealing the subtle pigmentation below. The areas where the tapes had been placed and removed have turned jet black.


voltar