Pierogi Variations

Pierogi Variations were created out of a desire to explore new processes in mold making. Typically slip-casting molds are created using a model, or prototype, which the mold is then made from. This process, does not use a model; instead found objects are playfully arranged in a mound, plastic is draped over them, and plaster is poured over top of the plastic. The weight of the plaster creates the stretching effect seen on the surface of the forms.

The found objects that create the negative space of the mold become a type of story telling in that they represent my immediate surroundings wherever I happen to be. Pierogi Variations were made in Poland while attending the 35th International Ceramics Symposium. I used found objects from the surrounding city and from the porcelain factory Kristof where the work was made. They are called “Pierogi” referring to the food which is essentially a stuffed translucent shell with its contents ultimately defining its form.

The body of work came out of a desire to move away from the explicit and sometimes predictable nature of slip-casting, where the product of the mold is understood from the beginning. This method subverts the notions of extensive planning and precision that often accompany mold making processes. Therefore, I can create several molds in a short period of time giving me a greater degree of variation in my forms. For the maker it adds an element of surprise to mold making in that I never know exactly what the object is going to look like until the mold is finished and cast.

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The found objects that create the negative space of the mold become a type of story telling in that they represent my immediate surroundings wherever I happen to be. Pierogi Variations were made in Poland while attending the 35th International Ceramics Symposium. I used found objects from the surrounding city and from the porcelain factory Kristof where the work was made. They are called “Pierogi” referring to the food which is essentially a stuffed translucent shell with its contents ultimately defining its form.

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