I know it looks like knitting, and it is…but it’s also fired ceramics! No April fool’s I promise. This gorgeous work is by Helen Martin who I was lucky enough to study with when I was over in Australia a few years back. This body of work she’s been producing is so interesting in how it combines the time consuming processes of both knitting and ceramic work. Knitted objects are so enticingly tactile to me, as are ceramics I guess, but I love the trick these pieces play with the expectations of the viewer.

Here’s her artist statement about the work:

“Does your mother knit? Did your granny crochet?
My work celebrates the making process. The act of making takes me out of the present, into a gentle space where I can daydream to my heart’s content. This love of making is the common thread that ties me to other women and other generations in my family.

The need to make is closely connected to the needs of the domestic environment and nurturing a family, but it serves also to nurture and satisfy the self. Essentially, we, as makers of objects, are also making time – time for ourselves.

I make textile-like ceramic objects, bowl and plate forms, that are, in fact, twice made. Firstly, in relaxation mode, I knit and crochet simple forms from pure wool – square, rectangular, round. I then soak these in glaze, dry them, and fire them in the kiln. The wool burns out leaving the detail captured in glaze. It is this transformation, accompanied by its inherent technical challenges that drives me and excites me.”

If you’re in Melbourne make sure you take the time to see her work in person at her exhibition at NORTHCOTE POTTERY SUPPLIES Pan Gallery, which runs from May 1 to 27, opening reception on April 30th. Check out their website or blog for more info. Guest speaker is Kevin Murray, well worth the trip out.

Images are by Stuart Hayes, ANU Photography