Cob Bowl VIII
£75.00
These sculptural bowls made by Gabriella Rhodes are made using techniques rooted in the history of cob building in Wales and the UK. To make a piece, subsoil and clay are sieved and combined with sand, straw and collected rainwater. It’s then sculpted into shape by hand without a mould and allowed to dry. Once the initial form is dry, a clay plaster is made by combining foraged clay and sand and applied to the piece in layers, creating a smooth finish. The final layer is burnished by rubbing a smooth river pebble onto the surface to create a sheen and then linseed oil is applied over the entire piece. The linseed oil hardens over time once it’s exposed to the air which creates a protective seal on the piece.
Specifications:
Materials: Cob (clay, sand, straw and soil)
Dimensions: Approx H. 7cm W. 11cm
Care: Wipe clean only. If in the future, the colour or outer layer seems to be fading, a 100% natural furniture wax can be applied with a cloth or linseed oil can be reapplied.
1 in stock
About the artist
Gabriella Rhodes
Gabriella Rhodes is an artist and facilitator living and working on the Llŷn Peninsula, North Wales. Her practice is land-based, using local, foraged and reclaimed materials including clay, soil, stone and straw to create sculptural objects that sit somewhere between art and craft. Making is always preceded by research and fieldwork, often involving a detailed examination of geological maps and local industries, walking in the landscape and connecting with nearby ‘hole diggers’ like farmers and ground workers to divert the earth they have extracted.
The materials and processes used in her practice are rooted in the cob-building history of Wales and the wider UK but are reinterpreted in new ways. Alongside mirroring the geological past in their material composition, pieces often reference geomorphic features on the Earth’s surface through abstracted marks, curves and hollows. Through these methodologies, she intends to create work that embodies the deep histories of the ground beneath us and fosters a reciprocal existence with the more-than-human world.
De CeramegCeramicsGabriella Rhodes
