Years ago
in Vienna, when I started working with ceramics, I wanted to learn everything
about it. I was reading books and magazines. I was talking to experienced
potters, asking them all kinds of questions and trying to get some secret tips
that would accelerate my learning process. I couldn’t wait to apply everything
I discovered and learned.
So, after
I learned to throw on the wheel, I wanted to cast a mould. I read everything I
could find about it, and I was so convinced I knew what I was doing. It turned
out that I had no idea at all.
My first
mistake was not starting small. I made a huge sculpture that was supposed to
become my very first plaster mould. My second mistake: The frames were not
secured enough. When you make an object you want to slip cast, you have to
construct stable frames around it, and then pour the liquid plaster in it. So,
the six litters of the plaster just burst out of the frame that was supposed to
keep it inside. If you have a hard time understanding what happened, imagine
dropping a bottle of milk on the floor.
Nasty,
right? Well then, try to imagine dropping six bottles! So there was this ocean
of creamy liquid all over the table, the floor and my clothes. I was so
inexperienced that I even tried to collect all the plaster with some towels
before it became solid. This is how I ruined many towels instead of waiting for
the plaster to stiffen.
That was
it! It was so disheartening that I haven’t touched plaster for years. Luckily
enough, in Berne I have shared my studio with a very nice and talented
ceramicist who encouraged me to give the slip casting a second chance. She
showed me how to make plaster moulds step by step. I am not an expert, but from
time to time I manage some decent moulds.
I am
showing you today a work in progress. Once, a wise man told me I should never
talk about the projects that were on my mind or those that I have just started
to develop. Talking about it may dilute the whole idea. So, instead of
explaining what am I up to, I am just going to show you a few photos.
And if
you stay tuned, you may actually see the end result.
