NYTEKS

New Techniques for ceramic sculpture

Diary Ayanaarsymposium at Barlingbo, Gotland, Sweden 20090810 – 20090922


Day 1, Monday August 10, 2009

Gathering and presentation of the 15 participants of the Ayanaar Sculpture Symposium, the Master Sculptor Palanisamy from Tamil Nadu, India and documentary filmmaker Tony Mc Veigh, resident of the island of Gotland. Eva and Åke Nobling has for this symposium opened their estate at Barlingbo, and their “Lokatta keramik”, ceramic workshops and sales of Fyle-clay is situated.

We were devided into 3 groups: One to mix the clay with our feet on the cement floor of the huge, newly built “working hangars” behind the estate, one group to mix the clay mechanically in a huge bakery-mixer, and one group to build a floor using chipboard and loading pallets around the specially made iron and brick-firing platforms for the sculptures. After a few hours the 3 groups rotated so that everyone got to try out each workingphase.

The 3 groups then were asked to shape three monumental sculptures: One abstract, one figurative and one traditional Ayanaar horse. All sculptures should be about 2.5 m high. In advance, Palanisamy had already created a small horse, one image of the god Ayanaar, and a small idol figure of the god Ganescha, the elephant god. By lighting up incense and placing wild flowers in front of them, Palanisamy had indeed blessed the workspace for the symposium. He also had begun working on the legs of huge Ayanaar guardsmen, to be finished during the workshop, 3 m high. Professional sculptors, we realized what an unusually gifted sculptor Palanisamy is, and felt honored us by his presence.

THE RECIPE for the clay mix that Palanisamy has taught:

To 60 kg of Fyle-clay,( 3 packages) add 2.8 kg rise chaff, imported from India, plus 3 litres of water. The Chaff contains silicon, a mineral that helps to keep the clay damp and functions as armor as well.

Palanisamy showed us: He placed in a round bed a few handfuls of chaff onto the cement floor. He then asked the group to cut slices of clay and put them in a circle on to the chaff, adding some water . Then he showed us how to press this mix together with our feet, then folding the clay with our hands, in towards the middle, trampling and folding until all 3 packages and chaff was mixed. It was then put under plastic sheets to keep them from drying up.

At the same time, group no 2 mixed clay and chaff in the bakery mixer and group no 3 kept on building the working/firing platforms, circulating from group to group the whole day. At the end of the day we had mixed 1440 kg of clay. Some of us had tried to sing “worksongs” during the trampling, but had to give it up because the trampling was very exhausting. But by holding each other´s shoulders, 3 persons at a time, effectively trampling round and round in a ring, then folding by hand and again trampling round and round, it turned out to be a fun experience.

The three groups took turns to organize collective lunch, everything kept on without any problems, everyone turned out to be good and hardworking pro´s, no one sneaked away, everyone did their utmost. The first day finished four-thirty, everyone totally exhausted but happy


Day 2, Tuesday August 11:

Morning gathering: Palanisamy told us through the translator Mr. Kananatan the way he works the clay back home. The two holy watchmen is always created in two but the holy horse can be made in any size. The guardsmen always have “sandals shaped with chains and (clay)bells on their feet, so that one can hear them watching over the village”. Furtermore they must have nails under their soles, to make it easier for them to run fast if they have to chase intruders.

After showing us how he shapes long “sausages” of clay, and how he squeezes it onto the wall of the guardsmen´s body building the next layer onto the last made, he tells us to let it rest for a while before adding another string/sausage of clay. Before he does, he pinches the edge of the last layer, and adds it from above, if he is working from a low hight, and from the side if the object is already high up.

We ask how it is possible to move the clay figures to where they will be fired, he tells us that four men manage to carry a giant horse because they are shaped with such thin walls as up to 1,5 - 2 cm thickness.  They weigh about 75-100 kg, Åke mentions. In the village in Tamil Nadu in India, they do not use any weights, but use their experience, their knowledge deep into their spinal cord. Each Ayanaar sculptor has his own recipie. Åke and Eva have during a long period of time made tests to find a suitable mixture for our climate and clay, a mix that fulfills the requirements for strength and weather resistance here in Sweden.

Now it is time for Palanisamy to show how to start the building of the legs of the horse. He shapes a clay sausage, which he makes into a ring on the floor. He then adds another sausage and sqeezes it onto  the first layer with his right hand, “feeding” and holding the long shaped sausage in his left.

Because it is easier he prefers to use a small turntable (cavalett) to start with, but when he has come up to about thirty centimeters he puts the legshape on the floor, and adds a perfect decoration-ring around the top of the leg. After drying for a while, he turns the leg upside down, that is, the decoration ring is now by the floor, signifying that this is to be the foot of the leg. He then builds the leg up to the height he has intended for the horse to have.

After a coffee break we start on the next step in the working process: Lena and Staffan have created two models of the monumental sculptures-to-be. They now draw the contour lines in fine sand which has been spread over the surfaces of the working/firing platforms, using the cross-ruled method of transferring the small shape to the large shape on the sandy surface. The three groups start to build on each sculpture, circulating between the different platforms, some often, others not so often, some choose their favorite that they seem to come back to.

Suddenly the sky opens up and rain pours all over us. But the spacious sheds that Lokatta Ceramic has build in the “Bulhus”-way, for future keeping of clay and other materials, protect us all, and all the clay sculptures on the platforms. After a while we could return to our work, down on our knees without pillows or knee pads, until it was time to break for the day and let the clay rest until tomorrow.

Day 3, Wednesday August 12:

At morning gathering, Eva expressed her worry that the high sculpturewalls, being much higher and wider than the ceremonial horses or guardsmen´s legs, would collaps. We decided to build a net of supporting walls in between and inside the outer walls, connecting and supporting them. Furthermore we found it necessary to add extra chamotte – about 10 cm – along the insides of both sculptures to enable the clay to shrink/slide without getting stuck to the bottom surface.

Both newspapers of Gotland have not had large articles about the project with photos. The local radio and –tv both have visisted and made stories on the local news.

Day 4, Thursday August 13:

Everyone is beginning to be very tired, two have a cold, everyone is literally crawling on their knees, but since the sculptures are beginning to rise to a height close to 70 cm, one will soon be able to stand up just a little bent over. The translator, Mr. Kananatan, helped us to make a round to ask Palanisamy if he has any comments of what we are doing, right or wrong, how to go on and how to fix a crack that has occurred.

Swedish National TV, SvT came to film our workshop, the sun was shining. The lunch team served a delicious lunch with feta cheese and bulgur.

In the evening everyone drove over to the Isum Estate, to listen to Eva and Åke telling about their visit to Palanisamy´s village in India, and from other villages that worship the god Ayanaar. We get to see ceremonial clay horses and guardsmen, several hundreds of years old. We can also see that other sculptor´s work from other villages do not reach up to the professional and gifted level of Planisamy´s work. We express our appreciation and Palanisamy looks very glad when he receives our warm applause. The evening ends in rain and an early night, since everyone needs to go home to rest.

Day 5, Friday August 14:

Morning gathering to watch Palanisamy working on his guardsmen, now grown up to their armpits, that is about 2 m high. Much is learned just by watching him work with his experienced hands. How he twists the clay and how he fastens the clay-sausages. Our work then continues intensiv, possibly the coffee breaks are now getting longer, due to the fact that the clay needs to rest and settle before we add more and before we start to clap the surface with wooden clap-boards agains the surface, holding a rounded piece of wood as resistance on the inside of the wall.

Day 6, Sunday, August 16, 2009, - Day or rest

Day 7m Monday August 17:

Everyone is circulating between the sculptures according to need  and where it is possible to work. Staffan offers the possibility for everyone to suggest if there is a need or not to decorate the surface of the abstract sculpture, or to cut into the surface or add any kind of form to it. To avoid thinking of the artistic aspect of it, but only think of it in a scientific way, testing what is possible with this method. For example, how far can one build shapes that stick out from the “body” or how to fasten wet clay against dry.

During the coffee break Anne shows photos on the computer to everyone, how she and her family built a house of clay on the island of Gotland.

Palanisamy shows us how he has added to the legs of the ceremonial horse while we were gone for our day-off. He had built up the sides of the stomach and legs and supported the belly-part with a wooden stick and a pillow until the body was whole. He regretted being in the city of Visby on Sunday, - the clay had dried up too much so he had to cut up a piece and build it up again after having wet the clay in the splice.

Another 650 kg of clay had to be mixed, but this time we only used the bakery mixer.

Day 8, Tuesday August 18:

Planisamy has finished the guardsmen. On the table beside, two clay swords are drying, waiting to be fastened to the guardsmen.

The abstract model is growing, and after a discussion it is adorned with a romb and half a spere. We agreed that Planisamy´s commentary “Little water touching clay” will be cut into the surface.

The figurative sculpture is growing up to the waist of the 15 figures, symbolizing the 15 members  of the symposium.

Helle and Maud is given the honor to help him with the decoration of the ceremonial horse, rolling little beads, leaves, stars and bells and a saddle that is all fastened to the surface of the horse.

In the evening Helena and Staffan at Isums farm shows us photos from their work in the potter´s village in Laos, where they for a couple of years back are helping the potters to improve their burning technique and production.

Day 9, Wednesday August 19:

Palanisamy discovers a crack on the rear end of the horses back. To localize the beginning and the size of the crack, he hits hard on the spot with the clapboard. To make the crack join together again he wets the rounded rock that he holds on the inside and hits with the board on the outside, thus joining  both sides towards the middle of the crack  (like when you drive copper or silver plate) until the crack has disappeared. He then smoothens the surface again.

Cracks that appear in the edge of the decorations, is mended by roughening the surface and wetting the dry clay and then smoothen the surface. E piece that has fallen off the edge of the saddle is fixed by cutting g off a piece of leather-hard clay in another place, wetting and working it into the hole.

“Small water touching clay, we don´t like the wind making cracks on the horses!”  -Tony sings for us while we work.

Day 10, Thursday August 20:

Palanisamy builds onto the horses chinbone and bridles. He also begins to build a god named Shiva that will be standing on the site. Åke opens a little of the wall near the abstract sculpture to let more air in. Discussions with Palanisamy how to fix dried cracks. Don´t do anything he says, wait until after the firing.

His recipe for mending dry cracks:

Mix cement with waterproof wood glue to a suitable blend. (NO water!) We wonder if not crushed dry clay mixed with waterproof wood glue will do the job and give a better colour.

Before firing there are different proposals from the group about what can work as mending mix:

*Poke in sand into the crack and add a little clay over it.

*Mix dry clay with vinegar

*Mix dry clay with baking soda (contains potassium that melts in the firing)

*Dried crushed fired clay (chamotte) and feldspar shoud have the same effect

Another recipe from Maria, “Magic water for mending”:

Used to fuse together pieces, mend or enforce raw or pre-fired clay. Also used as glaze sprinkle in black raku firing, varying colours.:

3 tablespoons soda (natron)

5 grams of soda ash

4 gallons (about 15 liters) water.

Quickfix: A little soda (natron) mixed with toiletpaper, for fastening small pieces.

Painting: Palanisamy never paints his sculptures, in the old days it was done with minerals.

Day 12, Saturday, Friday, August 21:

When we met in the morning it turns out that everyone had thought about adding heads or not to the figures. We decided not to add any heads which only would confuse the shape as a whole, Instead we would only suggest the beginning of the necks here and there, to show the direction of the figures. We were all eased about this. The heads already made would be fastened to some of the cylinders that had been made extra.

The guardsmen were lifted using a long piece of cloth and collective strength, each one onto a pallet covered with crushed clay(chamotte). In doing so one of the guardsmen lost a hand! Palanisamy fastened it again by wetting and roughing up the surfaces and adding a little fresh clay. He then mixed a little fresh clay with chamotte and worked it into the cracks.

After lunch we celebrated and thanked Palanisamy for coming to Gotland to teach us his technique. We presented him with a gift, a digital camera as a fare-well gift. The text on the abstract sculpture will be written in Tamil language on a small surface that we had polished for him, “Little water touching clay”, one of Palanisamys beautiful comments during our work together.

Day 13, Sunday August 23, 2009:

This last day only a few were left on the worksite to work on, while the rest of us regretted that we had to go home. We had been given a monumental experience which has inspired us to work with this method in the future.

During the Sculpture Symposium Ayanar, we had more than 500 visitors and audience.