TEMPERAMENTS
Søren Thygesen DK
Exhibition 16 May - 8 June 2013
Does the iron-colour of the clay come from the leaves - or the opposite..?
Søren Thygesen constructs space-specific ceramic pieces that grow as columns, spread in the room, revolve around nature, architecture, sculpture, installation..
The works appear from the elements of nature, Danish clay and brick tradition.
The starting point is an ingenious cutting-machine and the clean cuts that suddenly turn out to enable the making of centimetre-thin leaves that seem heavier than their high upwardly rising sister-columns.The combination of knowledge of materials, tools and technical ingenuity meets and merges in the artistic idea. www.sorenthygesen.com
Photos of the Sliding Land series - 'Glissement de Terrain':
Architecture, nature, clay - brick coloured leaves swirling from floor to ceiling..
SØREN THYGESEN:
The idea of the leaves appears from the observation that tile roofs have the colours of withered foliage.
Clay in the Danish underground is layers of red and blueish clay - ferrous earthenware.
Do the iron colours of the clay come from the leaves - or is it the other way around..
When leaves wither, the chlorophyll oxidises and iron compounds will be left.
The leaf forms, that I have extruded, come from the true leaves, which I in the processing have trimmed and simplified.
The clay is the natural clay from the Tommerup town and region on the Island of Funen.It is run untreated through the machine, and the red and blue clay is mixed to varying degrees - randomly.
The leaves are produced at the Tommerup Ceramic Workshop and fired at the Strøjers Brick Factory in Assens, Funen.
- So come for a forest tour and enjoy the leaves doing weird things!
Studio thoughts – work progress In my own studio and at Tommerup Factory I like the feeling of finding things - constantly searching for something I can use and refine.
The idea of the cutting-machine appears from the simple joy of the clean cut with a cutting wire.
Photos of previous work - prototypes for benches 1:1
At work we have the old cutting-machines for bricks and making vertical cuts in various formats.It was in a short dialogue with Niels Lauesen, that I got the idea. Niels, my previous teacher at the Kolding Design School, had a course at Tommerup, - and we talked about the need for a similar device, where we unfixed could draw in clay.
After a few attempts - I ended up making the cuts using the throwing-wheel and found some easy moves with the technique.
The idea of the leaves comes from the process that wilting leaves undergo, similar to the process of clay during firing, - a colour ranging from light yellow to dark brown tile-colour.
A wall to wall covering of leaves swirling up in a movement towards the ceiling.
SØREN THYGESEN - www.sorenthygesen.com Graduated from Kolding Design School, ceramics 1987
Own studio since 1987 - Employed at the Kähler Pottery, Næstved 1996-2000 - Designer for Kähler 2007 -
Associated the Tommerup Ceramic Workshop since 2000 ...
LINK - Tommerup Ceramic Workshop
EXHIBITIONS Morsø Arts 2009 - Nominated Politiken Talent Prize 2008 – Charlottenborg Spring Exhibition 2008, 05, 04, 03 – Danish Artists Autumn Exhibition 2006, 05 - Gallery Nørby 2005 – Arts of Fyn SAK 2004 - Danish Ceramics Triennial, Trapholt Art Museum 1994..
LINK - Charlottenborg Spring Exhibition – The Column
GRANTS AND AWARDSOle and Yelva Nimbs Award 2004 – Danish National Art Foundation Award 2001, 2000 - Award-nominated Danish Danish Ceramics Triennial, Trapholt Art Museum 1994 - Awarded by the Danish Arts Foundation, Gallery Nørby 1993 – Awarded exhibition Jutland Roots Aarhus 1990 - Ole Haslund Artist Award 1989 - Krøjers Award 1987..
Grateful thanks to the Danish National Bank Anniversary Foundation of 1968 for the generous support of this year's exhibition program!
