When we think of fire we think of flames, heat, destruction and power
the three artists chosen for this exhibition have mastered the fired harnessing its power to create beautiful objects
Judy Blake uses a thick walled clay container to protect the pots from the flames but relies on the heat of the fire to burn the combustibles which give the pieces their unique markings.
Carol Rossman uses the raku method of firing. On bisques pieces: a pattern is laid out with tape to mask glazes from the pot. The pieces are then glazed in multiple layers. The masking tape is the removed leaving unglazed clay expose. The pieces are then placed in a gas fired kiln and fired to 1000 degrees C and pieces are red hot. at this point they are removed from the kiln and placed in bins of combustible material. fire flashes and the bin is closed smothering the flame. Smoke soaks into the unglazed clay. Glazes do their magic!
Vera Vicente in urban Montreal uses and electric kiln with a metal trash can inside she rests the pot inside and adds combustibles and the lid and relies on the buring to create the markings on her pots.
Also available from the secondary market are works by Judy Blake and Vera Vicente