- First I made a triangular based pyramid out of cardboard using a template and glue.
Then using clay I rolled out a long strip with about a 6" width.
Firstly I stuck my cardboard pyramid to the table so that it wouldn't move out of place when I pour the MIXTURE in.
Then I made a triangular fence out of the clay I had rolled making sure there is around a 1cm margin between the pyramid and the fence.
This is because we want MIXTURE B to shape and set evenly. If the walls of the mould are uneven, when pouring and letting MIXTURE B set, the mould absorbs some of the mixture which effects how much has a chance to set before we pour the rest of it out. Having a even thickness around the cardboard pyramid gives us the best chance of getting an even thickness on the walls of the MIXTURE B pyramid.
I cut a slice parallel to the table and used it to cover any gaps between the fence and the table.
I then poured in mixture A and waiting for X minutes.
After letting mIXTURE A set I removed the clay fence and turned it upside down.
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I used a X knife to cut out my cardboard pyramid.
Using some leftover clay I rolled out another small fence to catch the excess MIXTURE B.
I then poured in MIXTURE B and let it set for X minutes.
I then poured the excess MIXTURE B back into the tub as it can still be re-used.
I used a knife to cut away any excess casting slip that was extruding from the mould.
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I then poured some plaster of paris into the mould and held a pen up vertically in place until the plaster set.
This is used to shape the clay into our desired shape.
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First I would grab a handful of clay and press it into the mould. I would use my thumb to create a hole in the middle and then pressed it against the walls to fill any gaps.
Then I removed an excess clay.
I then used the mould press and firmly pressed it into the mould. I made sure that I used the press the same way every time to best enable to to get a consistent shape.
I used a lump of clay and sick it to the pyramid as it was the best way to remove the pyramid from the mould.
I rinsed and repeated the process for around 3 hours across 2 sessions. I wanted to make sure I had plenty as I didn't want to restrict myself on how mig or how many sculpture I could make.
I really like the way triangles tesselate together and wanted to experiment on how I could combine my individual pieces together.
I created a structure placing the pyramids alternating. I thought the best way to hold the pyramids together would be to have a skewer going through them on every row. I used a small hand screw to pierce holes bigger than the rods through as they could shrink when they go through the burner.
On a small scale like this using only nine pyramids it doesn't look that impressive but I feel that if I had the time I could create a much larger scale version with multiple layers.
I also used the rods to connect the rows together.
I also wanted this piece to be able to have multiple layers to allow for more depth. It would've worked better if all the pieces were exactly the same size as some of them were hard to balance on the small points. I feel this
Whilst experimenting with the clay pyramids I also glued them together and tried to create a twisting snake like shape. Unfortunately it didn't hold together in between when I glued them and when they were put in the burner.
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