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Pottery Kiln Overview
The kiln is an instrument that is normally used to convert clay into
pottery. It is an irreversible process due to the chemical changes that
occur to the clay once it goes beyond a certain temperature.
This
temperature, which is around 575 degrees Celsius, causes the silica in the
clay body to go from alpha-quartz to beta-quartz and is known as Quartz
Inversion.
The kiln allows this to happen in a controlled way. So the
kilns I build are used to carry out this process and to date have been
wood-fired and gas fired.
Developing Pottery Kilns for Decoration
However, I have developed kilns in two other
important directions.
Historically with the development of Kiln
Technology, principally in China, elevated temperatures were achieved and
with it glazes.
Kilns have been developed as a tool for decoration. So, I
use the kilns as tools to create various atmospheres which will intervene
directly on the clay surfaces.
The Wall. Paper Kilns and all types of
Experimental Firings comes under this category. It also allows you to
freely create all sorts of chambers that will allow this process to occur.
The third type is where the kiln becomes a ceramic object because we build
the kiln out of clay. Firing it makes the kiln go through the same process
as would greenware and as such, logically it becomes a ceramic object.
Now, if we include the actual firing we disrupt the ceramic process and
the entire spectacle enters into the realm of the ephemeral. Fire Trees
principally come under this category. Other works include "Fire Flowers"
and "Dragons".
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