Developing primary experience with a range of ceramic processes and forms I have creates a range of outputs that each focus on different production methods relating to ceramics. Taking inspiration from my original influences of the project I began to look at contemporary ceramic forms and found this opened a gateway to new and innovative materials that are on trend such as the use of concrete and other brutalist materials that when juxtaposed with the natural greenery of plants create an engaging contrast. I wanted to experiment with creating my own forms that followed a contemporary creative direction and identified cement as an innovative material to explore in relation to ceramic processes. Discussing these plans with workshop staff we identified a method similar to slip casting where a silicone mould would be made that could then hold the cement form.
The first step in this process it to firstly create the form I wanted to show out of wood as a base for the silicone to be moulded around, Exploring different shapes I followed a minimalist scandi theme creating a single cylindrical form that is akin to the slab formed ceramics I created earlier within my experimentation as I felt these had quite a contemporary aesthetic. This form was created by layering laser cut circles onto of each other to the appropriate size bound using PVA wood glue. Identifying a context for the project I chose to create succulent planters as this is a relative small form to experiment with, continues the contemporary directions of the aesthetic, is commercially relevant and has an external use beyond the process of research.
In preparation for moulding the form into silicone I sanded the exterior to achieve a smooth finish and coated the wooden forms in shellac which will allow the forms to cure more effectively.
Creating the silicone mould required a clay base and tube 2.5cm later in circumference to house the silicone until it solidifies, this is coated in lubricant to ensure it is easily removed. The form is placed in the centre and silicone poured to cover the form entirely. The process takes overnight to solidify and is poured in two staged to ensure the form does not float within the silicone. Removing the form and silicone housing revealed the finished mould, this replicates the form exactly and can now be used with a number of materials to create the final form. As the design is totally unique and of my own creation I created small stamps to impress into the bottom of the form which links to my personal branding and professional practice.
I discovered cement is not stocked within college due to its short shelf life and limited demand therefore I would have to buy a whole 2.5KG bag at minimum. To test the mould technicians suggested trailing Jesmonite, which consists of a gypsum-based material in an acrylic resin. This hardens to a cement like state and its appearance can be altered through a range of pigments. the process it significantly faster than cement as well taking only 20 minutes to cure as opposed to cement which takes 24 hours. I trilled a white base and added drops of blue pigment, I was surprised with how well this turned out, creation a minimalist form with a marbled current curling through it. The exterior was slightly rough however sanding this by hand revealed a sleeplessly smith finish.
With the success of the initial jesmonite sample I tested a range of pigments with a mould made by technicians specially for sampling to explore how this could be developed over a series. The pigments work really well against the white base of the jesmonite and can be explored further.
I found a student using cement and asked if I could use some to create a cement sample, this took overnight to cure and when removed I found the aesthetic was nice however the large chunks of sand gave a slightly more industrial feel than anticipated, Comparing this to the jesmonite established the jesmonite worked more appropriately creating a more aesthetically pleasing finished form, that is as equally cheap to produce and potentially more commercial due to its short cure time.
The final stage of my exploration within testing innovative materials was to test the full set of moulds created. This gave me opportunity to further explore the marbles aesthetic that runs i chose to develop further as opposed to solid coloured forms. seeing the final 3 forms I evaluated the middle size was aesthetically the most appropriate and creating the most interesting proportions with the succulents it holds.
This process has been by far the most engaging and rewarding creating my own form from scratch allows a holistic design process that is bespokely titled to the project. This process has allowed me to learn a vast range of new skills that have largely been self initiated developed as a process of exploring traditional ceramic processes.
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