447 A Ave
Kaslo, BC V0G 1M0
Canada
OF THIS PLACE – by Robin DuPont
On display Until October 10th
Astist Statement:
This body of work is an exploration of the process of woodfiring ceramics and its relationship to this place. There are many different layers of place that filter through this body of work to reveal a culmination of over two decades of my research into the process of surfacing ceramics with wood. In the case of these two rooms, one room pays homage to my roots as a functional potter and other is unshackled by the limitations of utility.
I use about 15-20 cords a year of a waste product from the local timber industry to fuel my kilns, but more importantly the wood becomes the glaze which surfaces the work during the firing process. The slabs and edgings cut from the trees to make dimensional lumber create the glaze and colour surfaces on these pieces.
In essence, I am making glass out of wood and exploring its creative potential. In some ways I think of it as making art out of the landscape.
A reflection on how local this process is and how it essentially relates to place; all of my glaze material comes from right here, all of the colour on my work is coming from the minerals in these trees. This show is an exploration of this conceptually, aesthetically and physically.
In an effort to pay homage to the few traditions in history that have celebrated and created work with an aesthetic based on surfacing ceramics with only natural ash, I hope to contribute to this long but limited history.
