Projects
To demonstrate the possibilities of the resources the natural world provides, Neve Beill uses wild clay as a medium, to create work that reflects the location of each clay’s origin. Wild clay connects artist and makers to their local environment, offering unique textures and qualities that reflect the landscape it comes from, in this case, The Isle of Wight. A place of significance to the designer, spending her summers there as a child, playing in the same clay she works with today. The island also holds great importance geologically, ‘being described as ‘the garden isle’ presenting as an embodiment in miniature of almost every variety of English Landscape and scenery’ (Lester, 2005). Providing an abundance of natural materials, which have been utilised in the past, for a wide range of making industries.
This project features a collection of functional domestic archetypes, each made with a different wild clay sourced from varying locations around the Isle of Wight. The main form of each vessel has taken influence from traditional Isle of Wight pottery, Vectis ware. Hand built details have been added to depict wild animals of significance from around the island as well as historical sculptures, telling stories of cultural past. Drawing from the Islands rich importance of wildlife whilst reinterpreting archaeological finds to investigate the importance of natural resources in the past and present day.
There is a huge responsibility that comes with using clay as a medium, once fired ceramic pieces will be around for thousands of years to come. Within the ceramics industry, it is common to use commercial materials, these are often thoroughly processed and overmined. Sourcing locally can help to reduce waste flows and allows for the unknown of found materials. Iteratively testing a range of materials to provide innovative solutions and improve the qualities and knowledge surrounding natural materials used within the ceramic industry is essential.
Each clay collected by Neve Beill is turned into a small test pot and added to her material archive. She compares both fired and raw forms, calculating the shrinkage rates. Initially, small test tiles are created and fired at varying temperatures to determine which temperature is optimal for desired strength, durability and aesthetic qualities.
This clay from Wimbledon Woods fired a deep red. This is common for clay found in highly wooded areas due to iron oxide minerals. Beill is currently developing a range of ways to put this ‘waste material’ to use, whether this is through adding it to ash glaze recipes, or creating domestic wares and sculptural pieces made using this clay.