Accumulations of discarded smashed pottery in a neglected greenhouse: this was the “personal archaeology” that provided the subject and material for this multi-media project. A series of temporary sculptures, two short films, and photography of a “shadow of making” allude to the hidden time, energy and waste material involved in creating what might be considered a successful piece of pottery. The work explores how this debris of making might continue its material journey into new artworks, asking questions about what is trash and what is treasure.

Made in April 2020, while I was studying for an MA in Art and Archaeology at the University of the Highlands and Islands, Shard-shadow, Shardscapes investigates the multi-sensory experience of working with this new-old material in different time-frames and living environments.

As well as reclaimed pottery shards and the “successful piece” (a largish, recently made pot), my materials included raw clay, water, accidental organic and atmospheric matter (cobwebs, dew) and various shadows, (fast and slow-moving) to overlay the “making-shadow” of the sculpture. I recorded multiple sounds made with these materials, combining them with environmental sound, photography and video footage. The two films - each less than two minutes long - can be viewed here: Shard-shadow, Shardscapes