A Ball of Clay
The documentary is a beautifully shot insight into the life and work of ceramic artist Alistair Whyte.
Made in 2018 this documentary allowed Lize Myburgh to get to know Alistair Whyte's personal journey to becoming a master potter, studying in Japan and meeting his wife to how he made his work day to day.
Made in 2018 this documentary allowed Lize Myburgh to get to know Alistair Whyte's personal journey to becoming a master potter, studying in Japan and meeting his wife to how he made his work day to day.
Break Free
Video pending upload here, click to view on Instagram : Break Free
“Break Free” is an activism artwork inspired by films documenting systematic entrapment of vulnerable people mostly children. The entrapment happens through structured groups where multiple people are part of the system that upholds and repeat the abusive behaviour. I made a kinetic sculpture that used the material agency of the clay’s fragility by making the movement break the cloudy white forms made from Audrey Blackman Porcelain slip, this action represents the loss of innocence and happiness that happens from traumatic events. The main form holding the mechanics is carved in shipping containers style curves as shipping containers are the new way people are being trafficked to different countries under the radar. There is barbed wire pierced into the clay and wrapped around the stand to emote the feeling of aggressive restraint. Using Keane Toast clay, I made my own interpretation of bars that were fried to 1280 degrees reduction kiln to look like rusted bars creating a suggestion of a barrier around the main arrangement. The shards were then collected and used to create the second main form used in the video, they were stuck onto the porcelain disc using a white crackle glaze. I used only one source of light within my video to create harsh shadows and create the feeling of an enclosed space isolating the forms from anything else in the environment, like the people are isolated by the groups so they can hold more control over them. I used a music box playing ‘Hush Little Baby’ lullaby to spin the porcelain disc on, I also used the same music box’s tune in the background of the video creating an emotional link to childhood and innocence.