What is fired clay or terrra-cotta and just how strong is it, how long will it last. These are the most frequently asked questions. Terra Cotta is a low fire clay and all earth clays are called “Baked Earth” it is an organic earth material and is fired in a Kiln at different temperatures, when it is dried and hardened. Within the family of earth clay’s there is a low, medium and a high fire clay. Depending on the kind of clay being mixed they add minerals (chlorite, smectite, illite, and Kaolinite). The clay particles fix water molecules for a greater plasticity and when heated at a correct temperature, the clay solidifies, becomes compact, and retains a permanent shape. It becomes as hard as glass or stone.
Andi uses medium fired clay called “Hearthstone” which is light brown, or slab and sculpture clay (high fire clay) to create her sculptures. She feels that this clay has more tooth and holds up better when she is creating a piece. She applies her own patinas, which are metal based. Copper, Brass or Bronze mixed with a polymer. She then applies different reactive chemicals to create the beautiful colors. This process is called a Cold Patina and is applied over 4 to 5 day. It is not different then a patina that is applied on a bonze sculpture. The only difference is a bonze sculpture is heated with a torch or in a hot furnace and the chemical reaction is instantaneous. Andi’s clay sculptures from start to finish can take up to 8 months, each step carefully planned, and is truly a labor of love.
Sculpture Review is quoted as saying “ the modeling of clay is at the heart of the creative processes of sculpture, as sculpting in terra-cotta is as important to a sculpture as drawing is to a painter.”
How long will they last and how delicate are they. Pre-Egyptian and Pre-Inca have a long history and have document thousands of ancient relics. The Sumerians wrote on clay tables and are still preserved in a museum. How about the 100 terra-cotta army figures in China, the Qin Dynasty from the fifth century B.C in Xi’am. Michelangelo so poetically stated “ something noble from the vile earth.” The Museums in Paris France and Italy display some of the impressionist painters who dabbled in clay still beautiful and fresh as the moment of there creation.
The art of terra-cotta sculpture flourished in Italy, especially in Florence from the middle of the fifteenth century due to the contribution of artists such a Donatello and Luca Della Robbie and the architects such a Filippo Brunelleschi. So earth clays have a very long history, still preserved in many museums you will find many examples of our early ancestors creating beautiful art work that still hold up to this very day.
Fine art needs to be taken care of whether it as a painting, stone, bronze or clay. A painting that is not secure enough to hold a painting on the wall will fall and damage the frame and or painting. The same with any of the mediums you invest in. Accidentally bumping a stone sculpture even though it looks solid enough with create crush crystals and will need to be repaired. Bronze will damage if it falls from a high enough place or small weld parts come apart. Clay is no different, they must be cared for and this will preserve the piece for Centuries.