The process of making
"Decorative object with two birds and eight flowers, 2022"
To see Christina's entire collection click here
Where do I begin......
The pieces described and sampled in A touch of gold are from my ongoing series Objects of love and desire. Thesepieces are inspired by my love of Pronkstillevens* and ‘Made in Occupied Japan’ figurines
(see examples below).
I love to tell stories about opposing forces and the complicated human space between the extremes.
Can things be silly and serious at the same time? Can they be expensive and cheap?
Fancy and tacky? Minimalistic and maximalist?
The juxtaposition of these kinds of ideas has always been the primary ideology behind my work.
I work as a conceptual sculptor and installation artist.
What this means is I begin each piece with a fundamental idea or question
and then develop images and make material choices in service of the idea.
The ‘Made in Occupied Japan’ figurines were created for a Western consumer
and aimed to be an affordable version of the celebrated European figurines
from factories such as Meissen in Germany.
A cheap, accessible object meant to stand in for a much more precious one.
Olivia Kiers described my work by stating “This whiplash between the cheap source materials
and costly, technically exacting techniques is itself a mirror
of the discourse between Europe and Asia in the history of porcelain production,
and it asks us to consider how taste and value can be functions of context and material.”
This bouncing back and forth of Asian made objects designed for a Western audience and mimicking European figurines is exactly the kind of whiplash that fascinates me
and serves as inspiration for my work. I am interested
in the ricochet between different worlds particularly as it pertains to opulence and taste.
Jan Davidsz de Heem, Dutch,
1606 - 1683/1684, Vase of Flowers, c. 1660, oil on canvas |
Cornelis Norbertus Gijsbrechts
fl. 1660–1683, Silverware in an Open Cabinet, 1665-1670, oil on canvas |
Figurine collection Made in Japan, Made in Occupied Japan, and
Made in Germany figurines Collection of the Artist |
* "Pronkstillevens are usually interpreted as a form of vanitas painting that conveys a moral lesson.
The various objects in the compositions serve as symbols that can be read as an admonition or a life lesson. The objects usually refer to the transience and emptiness of wealth and possessions and the ultimate extinction and emptiness of earthly life.” -L.J., Bol, Abraham van Beyeren - Pronk-stilleven at okv (in Dutch)
The various objects in the compositions serve as symbols that can be read as an admonition or a life lesson. The objects usually refer to the transience and emptiness of wealth and possessions and the ultimate extinction and emptiness of earthly life.” -L.J., Bol, Abraham van Beyeren - Pronk-stilleven at okv (in Dutch)
GOLD:
I often return to the use of gold in my work for its ability to straddle the line
between opulence and fakery.
It is a material freighted with importance; however, it can quickly become cheap or tacky
and is often imitated to varying degrees of success.
In some of these pieces such as "All that Glitters," (bottom left) it is purposely used
with an absurdly heavy hand nearly obliterating the ability to read the actual form.
It becomes ludicrous in its overuse- too opulent for its own good.
In other pieces gold is used to elevate the lowliest of materials
as a tongue and cheek jab at decorative elements.
This can be seen on the gilded cardboard sheets that become plinths for porcelain and bone china objects.
between opulence and fakery.
It is a material freighted with importance; however, it can quickly become cheap or tacky
and is often imitated to varying degrees of success.
In some of these pieces such as "All that Glitters," (bottom left) it is purposely used
with an absurdly heavy hand nearly obliterating the ability to read the actual form.
It becomes ludicrous in its overuse- too opulent for its own good.
In other pieces gold is used to elevate the lowliest of materials
as a tongue and cheek jab at decorative elements.
This can be seen on the gilded cardboard sheets that become plinths for porcelain and bone china objects.
CERAMIC:
Most of my work is made with a combination of
techniques and materials. The primary material is clay. More specifically porcelain which I hand build and slipcast. Here the flowers have been shaped by hand and the slipcast birds are created by sculpting an original (often out of non-drying oil clay) and making a two-part plaster mold around it. |
I begin by securing the mold together with a strap and mixing my slip (liquid clay) to make sure the consistency is correct. In one continuous stream I pour the slip into the mold until it is full.
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Slipcasting is when liquid clay is poured into a plaster mold. It is allowed to sit so that a skin is formed where the clay touches the mold. The longer it sits the thicker the skin will be. When the desired wall thicknessis reached the mold is turned over and the excess clay is poured out. This leaves a hollow form in the shape of the mold. This is a perfect technique for creating multiple hollow forms.
While the slip sets I will begin handbuilding components for the piece.
My handbuilding techniques are simply those that most of us learned as children if we touched clay. These works are sculpted much like you would make a pinch pot. Squeezing and forming the mailable clay between my fingers and palms to create various forms. When the walls of the slipcast piece are as thick as I would like I turn the mold over and let the excess slip drain out. |
I work in multiples creating many components that I
can pick and choose from when ready to assemble them together. These flowers are stored in a 'damp box' to keep them at a precise level of wetness so that I can hold them until ready to assemble. When working on very large installation pieces I will spend weeks and months filling dozens of boxes with 100s of parts. |
Here the mold has been opened and you can see 2 birds ready to be removed. I remove them and clean up the seams.
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The remaining flowers are attached and the piece is beginning to dry.
One of the least exciting but most important parts of this process is how these pieces are dried. This is critical for the success of the pieces. I will monitor the drying closely to try to cut down on any disasters such as cracking. Clay can be heartbreaking and cruel given all the parts of the process where things can go wrong. |
Once dry the 1st firing is a bisque firing to 1826 degrees Fahrenheit. After the piece is cool I apply a clear glaze by brush.
After 2-3 coats of glaze are applied I will let the piece dry and it will be placed in the kiln for the 2nd firing. The glaze is fired to 2200 degrees Fahrenheit. |
I set the glazed piece on the base made for it to decide where
I am going to add gold to the ceramic component. |
24 KARAT GOLD LEAF on HONEYCOMB CARDBOARD:
I use a quick dry oil based sizing (the adhesive that allows the gold leaf to adhere) that is painted on very thin. This is left to set for 1-3 hours depending on the temperature and humidity.
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For these pieces I am using a 24 karat double gold leaf. It is transferred off of the tissue paper onto the prepared surface.
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GOLD LUSTER ON FIRED CERAMICS:
The overglaze that I use is actually gold in a solvent solution that is fired on to a glazed surface. There are many qualities and types available. The cost fluctuates based on the price of gold and the percentage of gold. To give you a sense this 5 gram bottle is currently $100.
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Gold luster is the material that you often see rimming the edge of fine china. It is decadent and beautiful and also incredible toxic to work with, so safety first! I always wear a respirator, gloves and safety glasses. I also have a vent I work under to help remove vapors. Once the lustered is fired it is safe.
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I paint the gold luster on with a small paint brush. It looks and handles much like a runny molasses. It is immediately loaded into my kiln where I have a vent running to help remove the vapors while it is drying. It is fired to 1159 degrees Fahrenheit over the course of 5 hours. |
Materials for luster application: gold luster, mineral spirits, paint brush, glass cup, tile, sample for reference.
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Gold luster after firing.
Finished piece assembled:
Decorative object with two birds and eight flowers, 2022 Porcelain, glaze, 22k gold luster, cardboard, 24k gold leaf, 4.5” x 6” x 6” The title is a reference back to the beginning sources for this piece. Much like the Pronkstillevens title of "Silverware in an Open Cabinet" or a Made in Occupied Japan "Figurine of Girl with Dog" they describe the piece in a way that is both accurate and generic at the same time, evoking an art historical reference to Still Life paintings. |