“These vessels are both functional and enveloping, they embody the preservation of materials and the containment of things precious to us, symbolising fragments of history, reflecting the every day, and conversely the revered. My vessels narrate a story, from where they came, and their reason for being.”
Karl's inspiration for
his work comes from “tephra”. Over 4,000
years ago during a series of particularly explosive
volcanic eruptions
in the Arctic Circle micro-shards of glass, referred
to as “tephra” from the Greek word
meaning “ash”,
were ejected and eventually fell to Earth onto
peatland across Ireland becoming incorporated into
the growing
bog, waiting to be discovered. This direct relationship between Landscape and Man is reflected in Karl's
work by the application of heat, gravity and elemental
erosion through the process of kiln-forming, slumping,
diamond engraving and finally fire-polishing. This
ever evolving process, over a period of thirty
days, creates and ultimately reveals the “alchemy” inherent
within each unique piece.
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