Earthworks is a series of ceramic pieces which explore themes of trauma and memory. The process is inspired by the sensitivity of clay and its ability to remember. Soft clay has a memory; the smallest detail of an impression, or action, leaves an indelible mark once fired.
The mallet, gently tapped against the dry clay, creates a network of fine lines and cracks, revealing interesting forms and shapes.
Once the pieces are fired, Barbara reassembles them onto a sheet of plywood.
“Earthworks 2”, earthenware on ply
Barbara’s journey with clay started at evening class in 1984. She studied all aspects of hand-building and has some experience of throwing on a wheel. Clay is a natural fit for the artist as she has a strong kinaesthetic understanding. Over the last few years her work has become increasingly concerned with reductionism and materiality. In the “Earthworks’ series, Barbara is celebrating the clay itself; how it behaves, what the material will do at every stage of the process and, crucially, how it breaks. The work refers to her father’s fall in 2012; the fragility of dry clay mirrors the fragility of her father’s bones breaking on impact with the road surface.
“Earthworks 3”, porcelain on ply.