I have been busy creating the plaster moulds for the door handles this past few weeks, its slow progress but the first porcelain pieces are now being cast! I have about six weeks left before my first workshops. So have a lot to do! I am also researching new technologies, 3D printing and working with a ceramics factory to produce the larger scale pieces for the site specific work in Mortimer Forest.
The last week of the British Ceramics Biennial was this week so took the opportunity of visiting the festival in Stoke on Trent. I also went to talk about the Portal project and look at possibilities for future collaboration.
The old Spode factory is an amazing space, the Spode site houses a variety of exhibitions and commissioned works, from exhibits of new graduates work called FRESH, and site specific installations such as Keith Harrison Knowledge Is Power 6Towns project and Juree Kim’s exhibition Evanescent Landscape:Terraced Houses.
My children loved the Clay pit where they were able to use clay in its various forms from slip to dried out clay material. They loved the freedom of the space to develop and create site specific works.
The ceramics materials have now arrived. I have spent the past few weeks settling into the studio, some of the first plaster moulds are being cast….progress in making the moulds is going well but slower than I would like. Donations of door knobs to cast are slowly trickling into the studio, special thanks to Julian Taylor for kindly donating some door handles for the project.
I have also been looking to develop more links both with local arts organisations and national networks for the project. I am hoping to visit the British Ceramics Biennial in Stoke on Trent this week to talk about Portal and its development over the coming months. I am also looking to develop an international aspect to this project and looking to work with an international groups of artists, focusing on remote working to develop new links and ideas.
I am still looking for donations of ceramic door knobs and handles, so please if you have an odd, interesting or decorative door knob then please pop it into Loudwater studios. #Ludlowhandles alternatively you can post donations to Loudwater Studios. Details and address can be found at http://loudwaterstudio.org.uk
Had my first day in Loudwater studio, great to sort out a space to work and start to get things ready for this new project.
Loudwater is a community art space set up 17 years ago by Vision Homes, its based on an industrial estate just on the outskirts of the old market town of Ludlow.
It offers local people the opportunity to engage in a range of arts and crafts activities in an open studio environment. Its offers a cup of tea and a comfy sofa, a sound recording studio and equipment and comprehensive ceramic facilities on site including a wheel and ceramic kiln.
I’m starting to gather door handles for the project, ideally I’d like to get as many of these donated locally and we have started a campaign to get this news out to the community. I am also looking for local reclamation yards as well to source some.
I visited local business Shropshire Architectural Salvage today, the place is amazing, full of hidden treasures of every description, the owner was really helpful, Duncan generously donated some of the first door handles for the project.
Its this kind of generosity and community spirit with which this project relies on to really get it off the ground….
With some initial funding secured after a lot of hard work, meetings and form filling, its great to be finally thinking again about creating a new work.
Having taken a career break to raise a family its particularly exciting to be in a studio again and be working on a new project.
The biggest shift artistically is the move from working entirely on my own to the desire and decision to work and create new work and projects more collaboratively.
This year has been extremely busy, setting up a new arts organisation called Storymine, with husband and independent film-maker Peter Summers.
Storymine is a team of professional artists who work collaboratively to create, perform and share artistic works that entertain, inspire, educate and inform.
We use fairy tales, folk stories, global myths and cultural legends as the inspiration, the foundation, for the development of our work.
Portal is the first of two projects that we are undertaking this year. Please check out our website for more information.
http://www.storymine.org
So here it goes!…
I am hoping that this blog will be interesting! ( be kind!)
a chance to unpack some of the ideas as they develop,
and to share the stories, the work and the process…
Let the journey begin…
http://www.emmasummers.com
