BACKGROUND CONCEPT
"When we ‘see’ a landscape, we situate ourselves in it. If we saw art of the past, we would situate ourselves in history” John Berger, Ways of Seeing.
It is now expected that the extraction of matter from the moon for human use may be possible in the next 10 years.
We are keen to push the boundaries of what an ‘immersive’ work is and are aiming to create a fictitious future through materials, appealing to our sense of wonder and our relationship with the Moon and its materials. Furthermore, what might the materials of the future be?
This objects can open up a conversation on the possibilities of mining on the moon and the moral, ethical and sustainable implications. Having overused our own planet's resources, should we be mining from another? This is the main concern of our climate emergency, it is perhaps why scientists are now looking to the moon to see if we can use it as a resource.
With the possibility of mining Uranium on the moon for the earth’s use, we want to produce casts with uranium and dichroic glass which shift colours to otherworldly glows. The uranium or dichroic glass changes colour when subjected to UV and a natural light source. For the ceramic part, using Lava glaze for the large body of the sculpture gives a similar aesthetic to the Lunar crust
By combining these two materials in one sculpture, we want the viewer to enjoy an escape from reality and immerse themselves in the possibilities of the future materials.
IMAGE REFERENCES
We have reference to some pictures from nature, the texture and shapes of rocks, minerals, and crystals to create our otherworldly sculpture.
OUR THINKING PROCESS...
TECHNICAL DRAWINGS
COLLAGE
We have made a collage to show what we imagine the design of our sculpture and the table.
FLOOR PLAN OF THE GALLERY SPACE
TEST PIECES
I have made some lava claze pieces to find the desired proportion of lava glaze and porcelain in the body of the sculpture. Then I use the bandsaw to cut them in half, to see their cross-sections, and find the perfect balance.
BEFORE AND AFTER
We tried to place some Uranium glass on the Lava test pieces to see how they looked and also took a photo with the UV spotlight on.
SAGGAR BOX DESIGN
I have designed a huge saggar box to fire the lava claze in it.
We have discussed with the gallery team and tested the theatre black light to light the uranium glass. We need a powerful UV light to make our glass glow, as the black light is powerful enough to make the glass glow, we decided to use it in the vertical gallery.
THINKING ABOUT TITLE
