Object II

Unfortunately I wasn't able to document this next stage of finding object II out of my chiseled bricks, as I had to reissue my camera out and by the time I had it back obect II was complete. I did however play around with different shapes and compositions, lying them flat like paving, piling , in groups , clusters...but decided on the wall. I wanted a way of showing both sides - the sanded away layers of varnish and the raw chiseled side displaying the concretes interior and how it was made, especially in the light that most bricks were made of a different mixture of cement and aggregate and contrasted well with the smooth - and varnished-  exterior of the brick .

Object II The Wall

Object II The Wall

The Clay Room

Just a little snap of the workshop in full swing.  chipping in to help chris finish his plinth.very sweet

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The Chisel

I was very very very reluctant to go through with this next stage....I had grown so fond of my tetras blocks. Maybe too fond and the vanish wasn't creating the effect I had hoped for or liked. So with the help of Tim's comment...which I'm not allowed to repeat but was something along the lines of  'get rid of this silly tetras  business' I took a chisel to them . There is something quite liberating about not being so precious about your work.Something I'm not so good at.I ended up really liking the final outcome. The exposed concrete insides contrasting with its sickly green glossy varnish.

filing off the vanish

Filing the varnish off because I really disliked the green tint that coated everything. I was so disappointed that the polyurethane turned green, which I think may have been a reaction to perhaps the lime stone in the cement mix (maybe..) as the guy who helped me at Bunnings assured me it would dry clear. However, I thought I should commit myself regardless, so covered each block with seven coats.

seven coats

polyurethane

the first coat of many of polyurethane ...

melting metals

I can't remember what we melted! I think it was called pueta? ( and thats not how its spelt...I may have made up a mineral..)or was it mercury. what ever if was , it was fascinating to see heated,  melted then cooled after it ran down the ply plank.