Fluid Screen
Parian porcelain, oxides, lacquered ash, stainless steel
1380mm x 1940mm x 35mm
FULLY BESPOKE AND CUSTOMISED FOR YOUR PROJECT
The turbulent motion of fluids inspired the making of Fluid Screen. Seventy-two lustrous, translucent Parian porcelain leaves are suspended in a frame to create a freestanding sculptural and functional room divider, allowing diffuse light to pass through and glimpses of the environment beyond. Tiny quantities of metal oxides are mixed with the liquid porcelain to create subtle shifts and washes of colour. The hinged screen frame is constructed from lacquered ash.
To create these works, I have developed a specific making process. Liquid porcelain slip is poured on to specially made plaster moulds to create ceramic ‘motion capture’. The leaves are hung in multiples to create dynamic, sinuous surfaces through which light is diffused. Every leaf is poured individually. The angle of the mould, the gravity of the liquid porcelain and the mix of oxides combine to make each one unique. The porcelain is fired in the kiln just once, to 1260°C. It needs no glaze, as it has its own lustrous, translucent sheen after firing.
My work with cast porcelain is the distillation of my research and study of water. The turbulent motion of fluids is one of the most complex areas of science. Eddies form in bodies of water at a global scale or in tiny trickles – and the patterns are unique. The porcelain captures unrepeated, unrepeatable movements, a combination of the logical and scientific with the mystical and unknown.
Fluid Porcelain can be customised to your particular setting. I cast porcelain in different colourways, and the frame of Fluid Screen can be constructed in a choice of wood types. Fluid Porcelain leaves can be hung in a single frame (pictured above) or in other formats.
Exploratory discussions welcome.