Vaults, Stilts, Space Frame
Ceramic SculptureCompleted during a residency at the Cité Internationale des Arts in 2016 that was awarded along with the Premier Prix from Ecoles d'Art Américaines de Fontainebleau in 2015.
These are part of a series of large pieces exploring the structural and material properties of clay in relation to architecture and the body. The form of Vaults is based on the human hand and the transfer of forces and mass through the fingers, which act as pillars. The piece was constructed hollow and upside down, and inverted to its current orientation after drying to a sufficient strength to support its own weight. The webbing was hollowed from between the tendons of the vaults to highlight the necessary structure. Space Frame draws from architectural model making techniques. Here the fingers of the hand are represented by the wood framing. The texture was achieved using additive and subtractive techniques, and features contrasting white clay insertions in the dark clay.