Laura Francis Continental drift

The fragmented nature of my body of work is intended as a representation of the movement of the Earth’s continents relative to each other, making them appear to ‘drift’ across the ocean bed. Choosing ceramics has allowed me to manipulate unique and diverse textures to create formal details and surface nuances. The allure of the primordial yet substantial qualities of tectonic movement inspired this series. I was strongly influenced by Marea Gazzard, an Australian sculptor and craftsperson, whose volumetric and evidently hand-built forms, as well as her application of copper oxides to underglazed exteriors, inspired my own use of clay additions and sgraffito to create a sense of motion within the work.

Influencing artists:
Marea Gazzard
Gordon Baldwin
Ewen Henderson