Molly Pretty
Pittwater High School
FORMS OF FIRE AND BONE
Ceramics
Ceramics on timber blocks
My body of work investigates the primal relationship between fire, form, and the essence of life. Inspired by saggar firing, these abstract, amorphous sculptures result from the interplay of intense heat and crafted clay, burnt surfaces conveying both destruction and creation. I incorporated skeletal elements, like ribs and backbones, paying homage to the fundamental structures that support life. These bone-like features are not mere adornments; they represent the intrinsic connection between all living beings and the evolutionary journey that shapes us. My intention was for this work to communicate the continual metamorphosis of life in a world in constant flux.
My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Shayne Greco, Alison Carroll, Michel Grafton, Christine Norris.
Marker's Commentary
The body of work, Forms of Fire and Bone, presents a series of five abstracted ceramic forms. The smoky burnt appearance invites closer inspection of the sophisticated patina of each element, revealing incised mark-making akin to found surfaces of bonelike structures. The five ambiguous forms, carefully manipulated, subtly refined and burnished, cleverly disclose relationships to life forms and evolution or creation as seen across the varying treatment of the surfaces. Each work stands alone as a unique form as well as an important related component within the series. The burnt appearance of the amorphous forms suggests combustion and intense heat, contrary to life. At the same time, this complex body of work also speaks to metamorphosis and transformation, asking the viewer to consider existence and life. Arranged in different viewpoints, the sculptural forms take on the compositional appearances as adaptations of morphed bones, organs or skulls. The addition of the white plinths to strategically elevate the forms, heightens the suggestion of museology, questioning the origin of these skeletal-inspired artefacts.