Tag Archives: lettering

m/m paris — design meets photography

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Of course, design and photography are closely related disciplines. But MM Paris worked with photographers Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin to mesh the two disciplines in a fresh new way, in designing “Alphabet” (2001) and “Alphamen” (2003). This seems novel because the letterform and the photo-fill are so closely intertwined, giving a result that is greater than the sum of its parts. By contrast, in a traditional sense, a photograph is still a photograph without being included in a layout, and conversely, a layout maintains its identity even if the photos on it change. With these MM projects, the photos and the graphic shapes transform so radically into the letterforms, that they would not have the same “identity” as separate images.

Stephanie DeArmond: ceramic letters

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These pieces combine ceramics and lettering in a new and unexpected way. They invert the traditional way of making vessels and adorning them, sometimes, with letters. Here, the letterforms become the “vessels” themselves!

Her site has a neat interview that I will add here later.

stephaniedearmond.com

Lettering by Stephanie DeArmond, NYT Article, Tattoo Regret, by William Saffire, September 23, 2007 

An excerpt from an article about her in Ceramics Daily magazine:
http://ceramicartsdaily.org/ceramic-art-and-artists/ceramic-artists/text-and-context-stephanie-dearmond/?floater=99

Best Beast, 27 in. (68 cm) in length, white earthenware, glaze, 2009.Best Beast, 27 in. (68 cm) in length, white earthenware, glaze, 2009.

 

Putting the Pieces Together
by Stephanie DeArmond

After I have created a paper pattern of my design, I flip it over and trace the back of the image with a needle tool onto a prepared and smoothed 1/4-inch-thick wet slab of clay. I flip my pattern so the front of my piece will be flat, lying face down against a ware board. I then cut three-inch-wide strips of clay for the sides of the piece from even wetter slabs of clay, which makes them easier to bend to fit the curves of my pattern. If I am doing a geometric piece, I use leather-hard slabs instead. When the clay slabs have stiffened, I score and slip the side-wall pieces and the face of the piece together. I usually cut the edges of the slabs at a 45° angle so the joint is cleaner, and strengthen the attachments with tiny coils.

A sculpture of the letter E in progress (shown face down), with leather-hard side-wall slabs shown placed on the front slab.A sculpture of the letter E in progress (shown face down), with leather-hard side-wall slabs shown placed on the front slab.
Side view of a completed and scraped greenware piece.Side view of a completed and scraped greenware piece.

Next I have a leather-hard slab ready for the top (back) of the piece. I spray the half-constructed piece down so the top edges of the side-wall slabs are wet and press a sheet of paper onto the piece so it makes an imprint on the paper. After tracing the imprint onto a leather-hard piece of clay with a needle tool, I use an X-Acto blade to cut out the shape. Then I slip and score everything, and flip the back of the piece onto the sides. I press the slabs together with my fingers and a rib, fill any cracks with bits of wet clay, and use a rasp and some silicon carbide sanding screens to scrape away the excess clay until the areas of attachment look clean. I avoid using the sanding screen too much because bits of black silicon carbide can get embedded into the white clay body. I start with the rasp, then the sanding screen, then use a sponge, then a rib to smooth everything. Once smooth, I flip it over between two boards, making a board/fabric/clay/fabric/foam/board sandwich. I flip the piece over onto a piece of foam in case it is not flat on the back, to prevent it from stretching or cracking. I make some pin holes with the needle tool in an inconspicuous place to allow air to escape and then dry the work slowly.