Dirt Basket is part of an ongoing series of works that uses the vessel as a reference point for the construction of sculptural combinations. I have used elements of craft-based objects from within my own personal collection as elements to explore the evocative nature of domestic clutter and the decorative arts. I respond to my tendency to collect and arrange sentimental objects as a way of building these sculptural works. By reducing the intimacy garnered from small household items into a larger, more cumbersome form this work considers how value is attributed to objects based on their idle nature. Layers of glaze, enamels and metallic lustres are used to achieve a chaotic surface, somewhat at odds with the usual use of these decorative elements. The ‘surface mess’ is another reminder that humans tend to categorise objects based not only upon their use but also via the material applications engaged in their making.
Tess McAuslan-King is an artist living and working in Ilarwill on Yaegl Country in the Clarence Valley of Northern NSW. Tess works with a variety of clays, layered glazes, lustres and vitreous enamels to investigate materials and processes within her practice. The majority of her work is semi-functional in nature, highly decorative, hand-built vessels or sculptures hinting at the vessel form, involving many firings to achieve a layered and luminous surface. Tess completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts with First Class Honours at RMIT in 2016, majoring in Object Based Practice. Tess has exhibited regularly with various commercial galleries and ARI’s within Australia since this time.
