Amy Cooper

My work is inspired by the world under the sea, the world under the microscope and the magic of landscapes at twilight. I address the fragility and transience of life and the natural world, through the transformative properties of light on porcelain. I continue to explore a monochromatic spectrum that is created through the use of textures, variation in thickness and diffusion. I am intrigued by the endless variations in nature and the idea of an ongoing evolutionary process of adaptation.

The work is created through an elaborate series of processes and techniques. All the pieces are initially slipcast in porcelain, they are then treated in one of two ways.

To create The Illustrated Range they are bisque fired before a painstakingly hand-cut paper stencil is applied. After which the piece is sandblasted until the design stands proud. The stencil is removed before high firing which allows the inherent translucency of the porcelain to create a soft silhouette visually as well as texturally. Finally they are diamond polished before being wired up.

Alternatively, the pieces are manipulated when soft out of the mould, bumps and dents are coaxed up through the still malleable clay. The piece is then allowed to dry out before being fettled, sponged and bisque (low) fired. After bisque the pieces are wet sanded to create a lovely blemish free surface and either glazed with a crawling glaze that creates a texture like cracked earth or left naked to be diamond polished after a second (high) firing. All my work is currently fired to 1250°C in an electric kiln.

www.amycooperceramics.co.uk