Anne Laycock
+44 (0) 7985 446 765
annelaycockdesign@hotmail.co.uk
"The design process for me begins with play. I take a material and explore how it behaves bends, breaks reacts to heat, pressure, water, what ever comes to hand. It is once I have begun to collect the behavioral characteristic that ideas start forming and my direction of development finds its self. I then combine this testing with a compatible process and ask myself “What if “.
My approach is to not to look at machines and tools for what they are designed to do but for what they can do. The extruder is a tool that is ordinarily used for making parts, tea pot handles, coils for hand building it receives very little if any attention for its role in the making process. I wanted to elevate this tool and challenge its status. It was this attitude that inspired the notion that the extruder could be used like a pencil to draw objects.
My background working previously as an art director in the advertising industry and as a display installation artist informs my work. I try to use ‘space‘ as a material looking at the relationship negative space has with form. Intuitively looking at art, architecture and design and noting my observations to develop an understanding of this visual language.
Recently my work has been focused on making object that respond to a contemporary life style and environment. I particularly enjoy working with the multiple personalities of clay exploring its acute response to touch when in its plastic state and testing its tolerance when in its harden state. With the extruder and using bespoke dies I was able to play with the size and form of extrusion to draw my ceramic scribbles with. My scribble vessels are bold and energetic concentrating on form not pattern to give visual appeal. My ribbon necklaces mimic and mock our notions of what should be soft questioning our expectations. All outcomes are a celebration of an unsung process and the extraordinary material qualities of clay.
My work is created from the exploration of a materials inherent qualities when put through a process. I respond spontaneously to these characteristics and look to create contemporary, architectural stylish objects that challenge our understanding of ‘limits’ and material quality. When people look at my work I hope to please them emotionally, make them smile and enjoy the playful nature of the ideas. In the making I like to find a balance between form, colour and negative space to achieve a satisfying aesthetic.
For this project the extruder became my pencil. Drawing Scribble Vessels with a single length of clay and making ‘clay ribbon’ to create a wearable ceramic necklace. Short extrusions of clay have been used to construct large statement chains that suggest imprisonment and play with the notion of freedom. Enjoy."
