I was recently asked to be in On Site, an exhibition at made. creative space in Toowoomba, curated by Elysha Gould. The exhibition invited artists to exploit raw materials (such as sand, rocks and cement) that were donated by Wagners. Other invited artists included David Usher, Christian Low, Alex Isaacson, Nathan Coleman and Jacqui Linane.
I chose to work with sand, and after receiving this, had about a week and a half to have a fully resolved work. Needless to say, a fairly short and intensive period of brainstorming and experimentation followed! While initial concepts did not work out, I finally decided to use the sand on porcelain forms, and kiln fire them. The bisque (1040 degrees) changed the sand from brown to orange, so I added extra sand into the glaze firing (1240 degrees), which then turned the sand a dark pink. I utilised the leftover sand to spell out words for my finished work; an exploration of the literal dialogue between the two sand-covered porcelain forms. The title sand by me is a wordplay of the sand-written words 'stand by me'.
While I do not normally create works this quickly, or use sand or text in my ceramic works, it was an interesting concept that has extended my knowledge and experience. I think it is important to push myself as an artist and try new things, even if the end result is not perfect, and even if it is not something that I would pursue further.
Daniel Qualischefski, sand by me, 2011, kiln-fired sand, porcelain, clear gloss glaze, dimensions variable. [Photograph credits: above: Daniel Qualischefski; below: made.]
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Also! My solo exhibition sky is falling at the Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery is coming up (not immediately, but soon enough, if you are as busy as me). So here's an invitation to whet your appetite, and I'll probably post more sneakpeek photographs on Daniel Qualischefski Art in the coming weeks.
Happy Monday,
Daniel.