Work in Progress: Bone Series

It’s been a while since I’ve committed to building some larger forms but this week I’ve been back in the studio working on new forms from my bone series. These pieces started as a mock up in miniature (pictured here), the largest piece is smaller than an egg. I’ve been contemplating this form over the past few months as it sat on the shelf, wondering what I might do with it or how it would look if it was much, much larger, I finally decided to go for it.

Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture | the dirt | Work in Progress: Bone Series

I started with some large cylinders and flared them out at the top and bottom to reference the shapes of the lower vertebrae or tail sections in many aquatic creatures. I’ve been collecting bones from seabirds and marine animals as they wash up on the beach and I love the structures and the fibrous textures of them, so I tried to emulate them in the center of each cylinder. I placed round discs of clay into the cylinders on either side, then cut and carved holes in them. Here are a few pictures of the process.

Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture | the dirt | Work in Progress: Bone Series Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture | the dirt | Work in Progress: Bone Series Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture | the dirt | Work in Progress: Bone Series

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I plan on continuing to build these pieces in graduating sizes so that they resemble the tapering of a vertebral column. Eventually the final pieces will make their way to the ocean for an In The Field photo shoot, but I’ll have to scout out some locations first.

Conceptually, I’m thinking about the way that everything is connected- in our bodies, in nature and our relationships with others. These fibrous textures are reaching, blending and connecting to each other but on the other hand are fragile and easily severed. This balance is the intriguing part for me.

I’d love to hear what you think and I look forward to sharing more as these pieces progress.

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