Monday,
6 July – Wednesday, 8 July 2015
9:00 am to
5:00 am
Venue: Canberra Potters' Society
Amassing strange, repulsive and exquisite objects from nature then disconnecting, manipulating and re-inventing them, Juz Kitson conflates beauty and grotesquery; strength and fragility; permanence and transience; organic and inorganic; the internal and the external; fertility and inevitable decay. At first glance, her porcelain and wax sculptures look more like biology than art, they are delicate, sensual, and slightly repulsive, all at the same time. Her ‘flowers’ are externally hard and shell-like; but visually they evoke the soft, vulnerable innards of a mollusc or, indeed, the hidden internal organs of a human being.
Join Juz in a 3-day master class that explores the making processes behind her unique art forms.This intense 3 day class will see students pushing the boundaries of experimentation, exploring through form and surface treatment to create a collection or installation both refined in aesthetic and conceptually thought out. Through an autonomous approach to making, this master class will encourage students to bring to the class an idea for a project they would like to pursue. Working with a range of fundamental hand building techniques to create objects that will sit together as a body of work. Themes will include natural and internal environments, relationships between human and animal and the anatomical body.
What to bring: Sources of inspiration- images, books, objects, collected textures from nature. Juz Kitson is essentially a sculptor working with porcelain so encourages students to bring other materials to the class that could be combined with Ceramics to create diversity amongst their collections.
Materials could include; Organic found materials, wood, natural or synthetic fibres, resin, latex, wax etc.…
Day 1:
Short introduction of Juz Kitson’s practice to show the possibilities of ceramics and the potential limitlessness – along with short demonstration of Juz’ techniques used in her installations.
Students will begin with a bag of Southern Ice Porcelain, experimenting, with no expectations, creating objects inspired by there proposed project and will individually discuss their project with Juz.
Day 2:
- Short slideshow of Contemporary Ceramic/Sculptors.
Students will have a solid idea of the direction they would like to pursue and will focus on either making one large scale piece or several small objects to make up their body of work.
Day 3:
Focusing on finishing works.
Small presentation
All levels
More information? Please contact Fran Romaro. education[at]canberrapotters.com.au
“I seek to obtain a heightened sense of curiosity, wonderment and fascination from the viewer, captivating them in present time and heightening their capacity for awe. I take interest in slightly repulsing the viewer. They are unsettled. This uneasiness then turns into wonder and in a later stage fascination, by working to lure the viewer, forcing us to look inside our inner selves.” Juz Kitson, 2012
Image: Juz Kiston, The desired desires the desire of the other, (detail of installation), Jingdezhen porcelain, southern ice porcelain, Taiwanese porcelain slip, paraffin wax, horse hair, goat hair, bone, flocking, alpaca wool, sheep wool, plaster, polyurethane, polystyrene, nail polish, lace and natural material. Lustre, Oxidized and Reduction fired. 2011-2012. Image credit Brett East
