Richard Innes
Brittle Skin
Kiln: rags, newspaper, hazel rods, home dug clay slurry. Sculpture: Earthenware, straw, paper clay, home dug clay.
This film is about building, firing and destroying a “paper kiln”, which explores the resilience and fragility of clay. It turns on its head the common perception of the properties of materials. When used in this kiln, the clay transforms paper and rags from being normally pliant into a rigid structure capable of controlling heat to over 1000oC. No modern technology is required.
Confinement to our home in Norfolk during the recent lockdown lead to exploring local folklore providing the narrative for the ‘beast’ which was to be fired in the paper kiln. So the story goes of a monstrous lizard covered in scales with wings terrifying the villagers of Ludham, 5 miles from our home.
The fragility of the kiln was demonstrated by knocking the top off at peak temperature, exposing the beast glowing in the night’s darkness. The inspiration for the kiln came from a demonstration at Aberystwyth International Ceramics Festival and “fire sculpture” from Danish artist Nina Hole.
The kiln was built over a week and fired in a day. It was filmed in both real time and time-lapse modes on two mobile phones and a digital SLR camera.
