75 ceramic sculptures were produced from leftover terracotta through a performative process. Each piece was formed from a cube of red earthenware directly pressed against the artist’s body without the use of external tools. The resulting forms were fired twice and coated with flesh-colored glazes.
The uncanny artworks evoke automatic, serial production methods. In an attempt to use up leftover materials in my studio, I devised a procedure to produce individual, original abstract works through a set of well-defined steps. After separating out and smoothing identical 10 cm-wide cubes of clay, I engaged in a “private performance,” crushing and shaping each piece through a single, directed action that changed as I moved from one piece to another. The clay bricks were pressed against my body through a mix of static poses, dance steps, stretches, and sport moves. Once dry and hollowed out, each piece was fired multiple times, with experimental layers of different glazes yielding irregular surfaces with colors ranging from pale pink to dark crimson.
The resulting forms attract and repel viewers, with a shiny, glazed surface evoking fresh cuts of meat and luxury goods. A form that was pressed against one area of the body often brings to mind an altogether different body part, inhibiting easy interpretation. The works are shown individually, in pairs, or in groups. They are presented on the ground, on ledges, or as wall-hanging objects ( when paired with industrially produced black powder-coated steel brackets). No two formerly identical cubes are alike.
75 sculptures en céramique, émail rose et blanc sur l’argile rouge, variantes du modèle de base de 10 cm x 10 cm x 10cm. Chaque pièce est réalisée à partir d’un cube identique d’argile, écrasé par le corps de l’artiste, sans autres outils de modelage.