The Very First Sphere ...

... has a special significance for me. Being the first one. 
The concept of the whole project still in its infancy; much thought about, much further contemplation to follow. The technique still new. The pleasure in discovering the meditative nature of the making.

Pre firing, the clay not completely dry yet - 14 June 2012

Post firing - 1 July 2012
(in a somewhat yellow light with the sun streaming through the window)

Much discussed with fellow artists. And consequently ideas about how, why, when and who burgeoning and flourishing. Periods of engrossed making followed by (longer) periods of fruitful thinking and talking, and writing on this blog. (Links to relevant posts below)

8 August 2015

22 August 2015

And it was during one of those times of 'talking' - with a friend and fellow artist - that this sphere began a new chapter in its story. A very significant chapter in its life-story. 
She was a painter, with a passion for texture (visual [as opposed to tactile]); a gentle, giving, sensitive person of great creativity. This particular visit took place some two years ago. As always the topic of conversation was Art, in general and our own, and about life.
We went into 'my shed' (read studio), as tends to happen when artist friends visit, to see what I'd been working on, and of course I spoke about the Spheres project. We had to go back into the house to continue this conversation because I was storing - or should I say 'hatching' - the spheres under the bed at the time, having run out of storage space in my studio. On our way inside I talked about the concept of social sculpture and how I envisaged that would work in the context of the spheres; about the meaning/essence of the Spiral; the importance of integrity of material and process; and of course the aspect of the 'fragility of existence'.
I took out from under the bed 'The First Sphere' - instinctively, since that's where it all began - and showed her how the one continuous coil winds its way round as a spiral into a sphere: the path of life winding its way round as a spiral, imperfections, cracks, splits, breaks along the way (the break at the end of the coil on this sphere), those imperfections, cracks and splits affecting what happens above with the next coiling, what happens next, further along the path. 
As I handed the sphere to her and she reached out for it, I could sense she had found a profound connection with the whole concept. She held it with the sensitive touch of her painter's hand and contemplated it with her creator's eye; a connection with the sphere ... 
She then cradled it in her arms and, softly yet closely, tightly, held it to her as we talked about the exciting potential of the idea of a network of people growing/evolving through an art project like this; the wondrous beauty of Art's ability to do that; the wonder that a sober object like this sphere can bring about such an inspiring, exciting momentum of connection; ...    
An intense memory for me.

'On a passé un bon moment' as they say. A very special moment had, a very special experience. Which is precisely what this whole project is about: creating a special moment, creating special, significant experiences.

I plan, in my next post probably, to try to give a clearer, more succinct insight into what this Spheres project entails from my perspective. In the meantime, here are the links to 'relevant posts' as mentioned above:
31 October 2014  summarizes the following 4 posts: 
- 3 August 2012  the experience that sowed the seeds for the concept
- 17 August 2012 only the two paragraphs immediately below the first two images are relevant here 
- 28 September 2012
- 23 August 2014

1 November 2014