Our ceramic project Earthslice is exploring the nature of the crystalline Earth and the relationship we have with our unique planet. So from our Cardiff base we planned a trip to the cliffs and beach of nearby Ogmore. We were all ready and fired up to collect rock textures for Mike and armed with silicon putty we arrived at the Beach Road car park at Dunraven Bay. However, a hi-vis attired, radio equipped car park attendant appeared. “This is all rather well organised, if rather crowded for September” we mused. But she was there to disrupt our plans. “Netflix are filming on the beach, the car park is full, and they won’t be finished until this evening”. Moral of the story don’t travel to Cardiff specially for research before checking with Netflix.
Still onwards further down the cliffs, and a lovely walk and climb, which meant leaving equipment behind, so we were still able to explore the amazing coastline rocks. Not practical to take textures this time, but so much to experience. The rocks had a clay quality, if rock hard, not unlike slate. Well it is Wales! We noticed the crystalline cracking both horizontal and vertical, different from other rock crystalline cracking, with sheer faces and sloping platforms of rock forming along these fractures.
The incredible interactions with Earthwave forces carried through water and air of different temperature states, seasons and weathers. Coloured layered rock, injected with quartz veins, sheared and cracked above the tide line. Between the tide ebb and flow waves, rock plateaus like worn muddy sections, with intriguing some rounded pits, perhaps water eroding softer areas in the rock mud. And the sections always under water, if some visible above the sea as rock pool water, irregular crystalline shaped holes with intact, not eroded, interiors with their sharpness and clarity.
We saw textures shaped by the different erosion forces at different heights; it brought home how texture is related to scale. The texture of a whole cliff face may be too large to mould for studio workshop purposes, but texture none the less, down to the almost microscopic which would be far too subtle to use directly to form clay pieces for human tactile enjoyment. And some beautiful human scale touch texture in abundance in between. Damn, where’s the silicon putty when you need it!
Despite Netflix throwing a spanner in the works, it turned out we had a great morning out along the south Wales coastline, with some truly inspiring research for our project.
