“Made with care; undergo[-ing] extreme quality control measures,” 2020-2023 (ongoing)

redart, copper wire, bentonite

cone 04

Upon reading through my gynecological records, specifically referencing the records from when I had a Paragard IUD inserted (and ultimately removed a year later due to complications), I was looking for clarification from diagnosis; answers to a chronic pain ultimately deemed inexplicable by medical professionals. What I found was potential- very literally, the word “potentially.” Referencing the IUD itself, which is wrapped in copper wire, as well as transvaginal ultrasound images, I began to sew the wire into redart clay, mimicking patterns from these sources. With continued systemic efforts to make caring for and understanding our bodies impossible, this work exists as an exploration of what my experience has been, forging a form/being who’s existence reconstructs the memory, resilience, and capacity to evolve the body holds.

examinations of the copper wire post-firing.

“Made with care…” extends as a series of works, including photographs, drawings, diary entries, and further explorations between myself, redart, bentonite, and copper wire.

2022 (upstate New York)

three small circular slabs of redraft clay lay on my chest and my shoulders, held in place with copper wire wrapped around my upper body. I walked around, moving through a conversation that made my breathing heavier, nervous, and inconsistent. They held in place until the tugging of my breath loosened the copper wire, until the redart clay began to let go of their moisture, until they began to fall off from my body. I gently placed them where they decided to lay, on this patch of grass.

2021: a new acne regimen that I over-applied, causing my skin to redden and flake like this. at the same time, I had been brushing bentonite clay onto redart clay. Fired to cone 04, the bentonite turns into glassy flakes which can be easily peeled off. I have struggled with the insatiable need to peel, scratch, and pop and every blemish on my body, and so this process provided a needed outlet. Unlike the acne medication, the bentonite leaves the redart clay post-firing- post-scraping, permanently scarred.

a small bowl thrown with redart clay; the remaining water and slip preserved in this jar. the redart clay is incredibly soft and very sensitive on the wheel. as only redart clay (Cedar Heights Redart Clay) and water, they were a very powerfully deep red; it was almost overwhelming. They are, of course, not very plastic. When hand building, the redart clay crumbles easily. This crumbly feeling presenting itself subtly as the clay remained on the verge of collapsing on the wheel. At the leather hard stage, this clay trims effortlessly.