Hon's Ceramic Vessel Series titled REFUSE

My latest work, featured in this blog post, references shards that are critical in the research into cultural migrations – even more prevalent today in a global society with its problems surrounding the displacement of people (migrants and refugees). However the shards are created by smashing a readymade vase, bowl and or a cup and jug. Digitally printed ceramic transfers of my ballpoint pen drawings are then applied and fired to temperature before the piece is restored. The ready-mades are manufactured by Vorster and Braye, based in Long Street Cape Town. 

I have opted to use ready-mades, rather than the large upscaled press moulded shards (image on the left), featured previously on this blog, for a number of reasons. The first being the firing temperature. The digital ceramic transfers applied to stoneware fired end products deliver a better end result. Especially when the body is fired above 1200 degrees Celsius, to combat a reoccurring problem with “spit out” - during the transfer firings. 

The most significant reason is the unrefined look and feel (gestalt) of the existing press-moulded earthenware fired shards. I am of the opinion that the large shards should be solid slip cast bone china and or porcelain fragments. Finally its form and shape should be developed from scanned and moulded actual shard fragments (on a large format). Then I will be able combact the spit out problem, whilst capatalising on the fragile and translucent characteristics of the above mentioned clay bodies.

The first in the series of smashed ready-mades with digitally printed ceramic transfers of my ballpoint pen drawings was a ceramic jewellery installation. I manufactured the work for the South African Contemporary Jewellery Awards Exhibition, hosted at the FADA Gallery in March of 2018. 

The road less travelled

The jewellery installation piece featured here, capitalizes on my detailed blue ballpoint pen drawings of a Barn swallow, digitally printed as ceramic transfers, fired onto one of the shards of a broken bone china bowl. The work is titled, the road less traveled, and comprises the partially restored bowl with its missing shard, metamorphosed into a jewellery pendant. 

The second in the series of smashed ready-mades was a commissioned piece, produced for 100% Clay, a ceramic stand organized by 100% Design (South Africa), part of Decorex (Cape Town) in May of 2018.

REFUSE

The ceramic installation pieces featured here, capitalizes on Hön’s detailed blue ballpoint pen drawings of a Barn Swallow, digitally manipulated and printed as ceramic transfers fired onto ready-mades. The work titled REFUSE, includes a partially restored broken bone china bowl with its missing shard, featuring a barn swallow, attached with a bird leg tagging device. 

The third in the series of smashed ready-mades takes on a different direction. I have become engrossed in exploring the restored ready-made in Japanese style of Kintsugi. The shapes and position of the actual shards are carefully considered in the reconstruction of the vessels, especially when applying and firing on the digitally printed ceramic transfers of my ballpoint pen drawings. Adding another whole dimension to the conceptual development of the ceramic pieces.

 REFUSE I & II

The ceramic pieces featured here, capitalizes on Hön’s detailed blue ballpoint pen drawings of a Barn Swallow, digitally manipulated and printed as ceramic transfers fired onto ready-mades. The reconstructed ceramics were restored in the Japanese style of Kintsugi.