Georgia Stevenson, a ceramic artist with an architectural background, is pushing the boundaries of her craft. Her unique approach involves transforming materials sourced from local construction sites into stunning tiles and objects, embracing the elements of process and chance. This article delves into her inspiring journey and the fascinating ideas that drive her practice.
The Architectural Influence
Georgia's architectural training at QUT has left an indelible mark on her artistic approach. After completing her bachelor's degree, she spent three years working in an architectural firm in Brisbane. This experience provided her with a shared language and understanding of the industry, allowing her to anticipate the needs of architects and designers. However, it was her transition into ceramics that truly sparked her creativity.
Breaking Ground: A Research Project
The Breaking Ground research project is at the heart of Georgia's practice, and it began with a curiosity about materials. She wanted to explore the origins of different substances, understanding their unique properties and how they could be transformed. A family friend's offer of clay from their Queensland home sparked her first experiment, and she quickly became fascinated with the potential of local clays.
Georgia's methodical approach involved separating the clay into batches and testing it in various ways. She mixed it with commercial clay, experimented with different surface treatments, and observed how it reacted with glazes. This initial exploration set the foundation for her material-led practice.
When she moved to Melbourne, Georgia encountered a different challenge. The urban context presented an abundance of construction and demolition materials, often destined for landfills. She made a conscious decision to utilize these materials, feeling a sense of responsibility for their ethical use. This shift led her to work with brick, concrete, glass, and construction by-products, creating a unique and sustainable practice.
Sourcing Materials: A Collaborative Effort
Initially, Georgia reached out to builders and architects, building a community of like-minded individuals who shared her passion for integrating waste materials into their practices. However, as her studio filled up with an abundance of materials, she transitioned to a commission-based model. This allowed her to draw on her extensive material library, making informed predictions about the outcomes of her creations.
Georgia's process is highly collaborative, and she values her relationships with clients and fellow artists. She sees her work as a dialogue between herself, the material, and the client, resulting in unique and unpredictable outcomes. This approach challenges the notion of perfection and uniformity often associated with conventional ceramics.
Transforming Waste into Art
The process of transforming waste into usable ceramic material is intricate and involves several steps. Georgia starts by collecting materials from construction sites, often conducting a quick survey to assess their suitability. She then sorts and pre-crushes the materials, using a rock-crushing machine to further refine them into a fine powder or coarse sand. Back in her studio, she sieves the material into different grades, allowing for a range of testing options.
Georgia's testing process is meticulous, incorporating the crushed material into clay bodies or applying it as a glaze. She pays close attention to potential issues like off-gassing, ensuring the safety of her creations. This process of trial and error continues until she achieves a result that works for the intended application, and then it moves into production.
The Beauty of Demolished Concrete
One of Georgia's favorite materials to work with is demolished concrete. Its unassuming gray color transforms into stunning glazes with khaki hues and gold speckles. She sees great potential in rethinking the value of this material, which is often destined for recycling facilities. Georgia's work gives new life to these materials, creating objects with a rich history and character.
Technical Challenges and Adaptations
Georgia faces challenges with plasticity when incorporating non-plastic materials into her clay bodies. However, she embraces these constraints, pushing herself to explore new techniques and approaches. She has transitioned from wheel throwing to hand-building and rolling, finding that the material responds better to these methods. She also plans to experiment with slip casting, which she believes will work well with less plastic materials.
The Role of Materials in Architecture
Georgia's creations have primarily been applied as tiles in architectural projects, but she envisions a future where her materials can be used in landscaping, urban design, and public spaces. She believes that her work speaks to the provenance, history, and memory of materials, and she aims to translate these concepts into public art installations.
Collaborating and Expanding Horizons
Through collaborations with Studio Bright and other craftspeople, Georgia is exploring the use of her materials as pigments. This exciting development allows her to work with a diverse range of artists and create unique outcomes. She sees knowledge sharing as a crucial aspect of her practice, empowering other potters to look at their surroundings differently and create work with deeper meaning.
The Impact on Architects and Clients
Georgia's use of waste materials offers architects and clients a more handmade and locally meaningful approach. Her creations retain a connection to their original sites, giving them a unique sense of character. Clients and collaborators are often intrigued by the story behind the materials and proud to share it with visitors. The design process becomes an opportunity to celebrate bold choices, creating finished spaces with a sense of narrative and connection.
The Future of Sustainable Ceramics
Georgia's work is a testament to the potential of sustainable practices in the ceramics industry. By reducing the amount of material going to landfills and empowering other potters to explore their surroundings, she is contributing to a more environmentally conscious and creative future. Her material catalog and online resources are valuable tools for sharing knowledge and inspiring others to embrace sustainable practices.
In conclusion, Georgia Stevenson's ceramic art practice is a fascinating blend of architecture, sustainability, and creativity. Her unique approach to materials and collaboration showcases the potential for innovation within the ceramics industry. Personally, I find her work inspiring, and I believe it has the power to shape the future of sustainable design and art.
