6:1 by Kirstie van Noort 2012
Kirstie Van Noort is a ceramic artist/designer who has created what might be the most beautiful supercycled project we have profiled.
6:1 - the name Kirstie has given to this particular series of porcelain cups and bowls, refers to the ratio of waste to usable white clay in the standard porcelain making process. Six pieces vary in colour from pinks to brown, while only one piece is porcelain white, forming sets of seven pieces. The inherent beauty of Kirstie's work is derived from the natural colours of the landscape and materials that without her vision, would not have seen the light of day.
It is in the celebration of what is usually overlooked and wasted, coupled with an effortless talent for form, colour and texture that Kirstie has used to such brilliant supercycling advantage.
Kirstie Van Noort: I grew up in
Drunen, a small village in the south of Netherlands. When I was fifteen I went
everyday by train to Eindhoven, there I studied Graphic Design. After
graduation, I was only nineteen, I knew that I didn't want to use my computer
everyday, but my hands to create things. I decided to go to The Design Academy
Eindhoven and after 5 years I graduated in the department of Man and Well Being.
Right now I live and work in Eindhoven, I have my studio at Sectie C, a
creative spot in the East of Eindhoven where around 100 designers and artists
are having their workplaces and studio.
What led you
to become a ceramic artist ...
During my
studies at the Design Academy, I had classes of a well known Dutch ceramic
artist, Frans Ottink. From Ottink I learnt for the first time working with
porcelain. He gave us the assignment, colour and porcelain. Thats why I started
to color the porcelain with different oxides. I was amazed by the colours when
the porcelain was fired.
Kirstie's graduation project involved deriving colours
from the mining landscapes of Cornwall - 2010/11
from the mining landscapes of Cornwall - 2010/11
During my graduation, where I could choose my own topic and project I decided to go to Cornwall in the United Kingdom. There I learnt more about the production of porcelain. I took 150 kilo's of raw porcelain clay with me back home and started to make objects out of it.
Since my graduation is about porcelain, nowadays I'm always asked for making porcelain or ceramic products. People just love the natural colours I used in stead of pigments from the industry.
What inspired
you to create the 6:1 project
During my stay
in Cornwall I discovered that the production process of immaculate white
porcelain is extremely damaging. One kilo is accompanied by six kilos of waste,
the mining changes landscapes once and for all. I used the waste of this
process to colour the porcelain.
6:1 cup, saucer and bowl - 2012
Can you tell
in some detail about your process and the result of this work
Once grabbed
by a material or process I want to unravel this to the bottom. The information
that is revealed during this research forms the foundation of the stories
behind the final product. In this case I used the production process of
porcelain, the story and concept are quit clear. Colour, texture and structure
of the waste are the source of this ceramic series. The abundance and diversity
of the residue create an extra dimension of beauty, always in a 6:1 proportion
6:1 cups and bowls - 2012
All my
projects start with a material or information. The process
is most important for me and from here I start to think about a product.
At the moment
I work together on a new project, with Rogier Arents. Last October we presented
Color Collision, a research that started with the pigment of red cabbage. This
is the first time that I work together, we are now busy for Salone Del Mobile
in Milan, April this year. There we will present the first outcome of this
research about red cabbage.
Ceramic Paint - saucepan, cup + saucer, jug - 2011
Tell us about the Ceramic Paint project
The ceramic
paint collection is also based on my stay in Cornwall. Next to the porcelain
industry I also visited old metal mines, such as copper and tin. Cornwall
played an important role in the Industrial Revolution, because of its soil
being very rich in ore. Until the nineties, there were dozens of mines from
which copper, tin and silver was extracted. But the prices of the materials
dropped, and all mines were forced to close down.
Ceramic Paint by Kirstie Van Noort - 2011
The result is a landscape that has been left with the remains of the mines. Not just the buildings, but also the piles of raw materials that have been discarded by the industry make a colourful pattern in the landscape. I visited 14 different mines and took from all of them some soil, at the moment I have a color pallette of 120 colours. When people ask me to make some tableware for them they can choose in which color.
Ceramic Paint by Kirstie Van Noort - 2011The result is a landscape that has been left with the remains of the mines. Not just the buildings, but also the piles of raw materials that have been discarded by the industry make a colourful pattern in the landscape. I visited 14 different mines and took from all of them some soil, at the moment I have a color pallette of 120 colours. When people ask me to make some tableware for them they can choose in which color.
The paint can be used on porcelain, earthenware and stoneware. it always need to be fired, the color will change during this process.
Have you some exciting plans for 2013?
In April this year I will present my 6:1 project and Color Collision at the Salone Del Mobile, Milan. At the moment I am working together with shops in Eindhoven and Amsterdam (NL), Toronto (CA) and Copenhagen (DK). They all want new products especially made for them, so I'm very busy with sketching, and curious to know the outcome!
Kirstie is also to be part of a very exciting new supercylcers project - stay tuned - its going to be amazing...
Kirstie is also to be part of a very exciting new supercylcers project - stay tuned - its going to be amazing...
