Floating and Flowing, clay objects, audio, inkjet on Hahnemuhle Bamboo, 2018.
UTS, Bachelor of Design in Photography, Photography and the Object.
In my work Floating and Flowing, hand-shaped clay pieces embody the experience of flower petals floating on water.
During an ongoing investigation into the experience of wabi-sabi, Floating and Flowing started as a fixation on the metaphorical value of kintsugi – a Japanese method of repairing broken ceramics. Using gold-dusted lacquer, broken-off shards are reattached, resulting in a whole object which is now more beautiful because of its once-fragmented state. This work questions the value and purpose of a single whole object in imagery.
In the approach to the idea of a ‘built object’ I was skeptical of a single artefact’s ability to carry a whole photographic series. However, making an object with an unfamiliar medium brought about new experiences in tactility, sound and sight – all of which were influential in creating the final work. This eight-image series and soundtrack reveals the potency of human perception.
Ultimately, these fragments of clay do not build together to become a whole object. Instead, they work together to create an experience of imagery and sound. In the conclusion of the work, the title Floating and Flowing refers to the clay fragments’ ability to be both the petals on water and the water itself.
