SHOW RCA

There's been a great deal of last minute firing and preparation for SHOW ONE which opens on Friday the 30th and runs through until the 8th of June. Alongside Ceramics and Glass there's Painting, Photography , Printmaking, and Gold, Silver, Metal and Jewellery.
There's a break then the Fashion Show, followed by SHOW TWO for the rest of the departments which starts on the 24th June.

Best check the dates and times on the RCA website

16.05.08 – Digital interference

This week I returned to London on Monday, leaving behind the stunning Lake District Spring sunshine. Our eldest daughter, Rowan had come up for the weekend so we went up to Coniston where I had expected to find congestion and parking problems. It was surprisingly quiet and e enjoyed a wonderful walk around Holme Fell, followed by tea and cakes at Yew Tree Farm, the one with the spinning gallery that was used as Hill Top in last years ‘Miss Potter’ film.
In London, I went straight to College and picked up the Wedgwoodn’t Tureen and took it round to show Robin Levien at Studio Levien. He has shown interest in the project and is rigorous in his questioning of what the eco-ceramic actually is. Can it be called ‘ceramic’ if an irreversible heating process hasn’t chemically transformed it? I suggested that it’s time to redefine the word if the eco-ceramic shares all the properties of conventional ceramic. Thorough product testing is required before we get to that stage, but it looks as though it could be necessary.
Tuesday was spent catching up with writing to people and having a look at the latest (June) issue of World of Interiors magazine which has the article about the Wedgwoodn’t Tureen. It has come out well, the facts are all there, and the photography is very good.
I had a meeting with my mentor, Martin Hunt in the afternoon, which was useful for discussing my proposals for next year’s research fellowship. I also had a chance to get some advice about the kind of contract I want to enter into with Wedgwood, if the project goes ahead.
On Wednesday it was up and away in time for the 6.55 Eurostar to Paris where I went to collect the Royal Overseas League Music Award Trophy that I have designed. As usual, it was a last minute affair, Gilles rushing in at the last moment, me with my box poised ready to pack the piece and dash off to the Metro. It was only the following day, discussing the piece with Steve Brown that I had a chance to really look at it. I must admit that my first impressions of the piece were that it looked OK, but Steve was very interested in the fact that it looks like wood, and it has small areas of ‘digital interference’ where it appears that the Zcorp machine has had to improvise. Steve and I discussed how the RM process could be disrupted by letting ‘digital woodworm’ loose in the process. Maybe a ‘virus’ could be written into the design programme, something that creates its own spontaneous growth? Almost like a predatory process found in Nature. It reminds me of the walk on Sunday, pristine Spring growth, and perfect for such a short time before the caterpillars arrive.
Friday brought another early start as I went up to Stoke-on-Trent for a meeting at Wedgwood to discuss the project and access the archive. It was a fruitful visit, they are keen to go ahead, but will get feedback next week after their International Marketing meeting. If there is enthusiasm then I’m in business, if not, then I’m looking for a job at least for the summer.

09.05.08 - getting ready for Show RCA

Now that the thesis has been handed in, it’s down to finishing the practical work in time for the exam and the Final Show. Preparations are going ahead at quite a pace, joiners busy cutting and nailing, trucks delivering materials. The Hockney Gallery is even having a temporary extension! The dates for the first part of the show are 30th May through to the 8th of June. After our show there’s the Fashion show on the 11th, then the second half starts on the 24th. Check the RCA website for full details.
I’ve been trying to sort out the glaze problems, trying different levels of Manganese. The results were not very encouraging- all the tests had some pinholing, maybe I should try a lower temperature, as the oxides will flux the glaze. Phillip Wood, one of the visiting glaze experts came in, so I discussed the results with him. He suggested that the recipe is checked on glaze calculation software to see if it’s correctly formulated. He gave me a base recipe for a 1080° glaze that I made up with a 2/2/2/2 addition of copper, manganese, cobalt and iron oxides. He also gave me a matt black glaze recipe. I made up them both and they are in tonight’s firing.
On my way to Euston this afternoon I made time to visit the Wellcome Collection on Euston Road. What an excellent gallery. There was a very moving exhibition of photography called ‘Life before Death’. Large photographs, in pairs of the same person. The first taken a few days before their death, the second taken immediately afterwards. They included people of all ages from infants to the aged. It is a powerful and emotional exhibition.
I went along to see the ‘From Atoms to Patterns’, textile designs for the 1951 Festival of Britain that were based on crystallography images of molecular structures.

02.05.08 – Handing in the thesis!

Friday was the day I handed in my thesis (or written report); three cone bound copies placed on Martin’s desk ready to go down to the Research office.

So far there’s no great overwhelming sense of relief as I’ve still a lot of practical work to complete in time for the examination. The writing is just part of the project, a fundamental part that has stretched me in many ways, but which could not have been completed without the practical work.
In addition, I need to plan ahead for my post-MPhil life. Will it be at the RCA? I certainly hope so, whatever happens I need to be involved with the French company and their revolutionary ceramic materials.
Other activities this week included booking the Eurostar to Paris so that I can collect the ROSL Trophy. I managed to get a little throwing done and make up some glaze tests, which are firing as I write this.
On Thursday evening I went to a bio-nanotechnology evening organised by Design London, held at Imperial College. There was nothing of direct use, probably more of value for the Design Interaction students, but an interesting insight into the future. One of the short talks was by a chap who works for the National Physical Laboratory, a government agency that measures stuff. Sounds boring, doesn’t it. Well this chap spends his time in Second Life, encouraging bright people to get together to discuss ideas around technology. I had no idea that Second Life was being used in this way, but as he explained, it’s all created by the members, so why not?
It was a productive, but tiring week, waking very early on a couple of mornings with my head churning through the various parts of the project.

Back at home this weekend, the spring had finally arrived and I could get out and enjoy it. I mowed the grass, did some gardening and got out for a bike ride. Vicky and I walked Blue through the fields and up through the woods with the purple haze of bluebells and leaves unfurling almost by the minute. A wonderful time of the year and I'm very lucky to live in a place where it can truly be appreciated.

25.04.08 - Editing the thesis

(or written report, as it should be called)

Again, the week started with a focus on the report. After making further amendments I printed off the whole thing and passed it to Martin to read. That actually gave me a whole day to carry on with the practical work, so I did some throwing and made up a glaze test. It’s a variation of the black reflective glaze with less manganese dioxide. I managed to get a test in Richard’s firing and the results looked much the same s the original. There was a texture in the surface; more of a mottling that I realise is due to not having ball-milled the glaze. So I gave it 4 or 5 hours in the ball mill and dipped another test piece which was put into another glaze firing of Richards, this time to 1140°. Not a straight comparison, I realise, but I’ll get a test into a 1080° firing next week.
I think I’ll try another glaze variant with even less manganese as I hope to get a perfect finish on my pieces.
I threw a number of porcelain mugs, each of a different proportion, some my normal mug shape, but others wider & shallower. I have chosen a lovely satin white glaze, one of Emmanuel Boos tests that will provide a neutral effect, as I’m interested in how the contents will be perceived in use. Applying handles was an interesting exercise. I pulled some handles, but when they were applied they were far to heavy, fine for my earthenware, but totally out of balance for the porcelain. It’s interesting how the material made such a difference, or is it a result of our material associations?
On Thursday morning I greeted Martin with coffee and croissants as I thought we would need sustenance for going through the report that he had spend over 5 hours reading. It was festooned with post-it notes, quite a terrifying sight but Martin reassured me that it wasn’t as bad as it looked. The majority were punctuation or formatting, very few required any serious re-writing, thank goodness. I’m not sure I could face that.
I hope to finish the suggested amendments to the thesis this weekend and perhaps get out to see a film, or go for a decent walk. Spring is finally warming up, Kensington Gardens was looking beautiful this week and I would very much like to get a taste of the Cumbrian spring.