Fire Sculpture Event
Description
This is a very special one-off event to coincide with the closing of Throughlines ceramic exhibition on Sunday August 20th 10am-4pm.
Learn from Yuri Wiedenhofer, kiln master and the-man-of- fire of multiple successful sculptural kilns held at Bermagui, Gulgong and Jindabyne, NSW over the past twenty years. Learn how to to mould and shape your environment with carefully considered fire, clay & sculpture into and around the landscape.
This event looks at reclaiming materials in a careful and considered manner that respects the earth's resources and how to think simple but effectively when making planned fire sculptures into the landscape.
This is not a pot making workshop but a workshop of understanding materials through means of clay, fire and water.
You can join in to help Yuri or you can just watch the sculpture grow, smolder and take shape! This ceremony of fire is designed for kids (supervised by parents or responsible carers) to adults to potters to sculptors or those who love a bit of flame in the cold winter skies!
Rain, hail or shine, this event will be running unless of course there is a deluge of epic proportions. Be aware that this is an outdoor event for a whole day.
Lunch is not provided, and we suggest that you bring your lunch or go to the Boulevard Cafe at Montsalvat for your coffee and food.
Water will be provided in drink bottles for every attendee
Bring your gloves, gumboots or work boots and get down and dirty in shaping an anthill fire sculpture in and around a dead tree near Clay Talk. See the potentials you can do in shaping your own backyard with mud and a little flame.
Learn from one the best landscape fire sculptors and be inspired!
About Yuri
Yuri Wiedenhofer is best known for his fire sculptures, structures that utilise fire to invoke suggestions of ceremony and ritual, to make people who think, think about fire and what it has meant to people in the past and what it now means to us. Apart from this thought provoking aspect, the structures are ingenious and inventive and the fire performance itself can have considerable beauty. His philosophy embraces a thorough technical understanding of the ceramic process while allowing other forces a free play with his vision. His work has won Australian sculpture awards so it clearly crosses art traditional boundaries.
What you will learn
- How to mould and make fire sculpture in the landscape
What you will get
- Learn to reclaim materials into sculpture and fire
What to bring
- Fully enclosed shoes
- Gloves
- Sleeved shirt
What to wear
Casual clothing - especially if you want to get your hands in the mud!
Appropriate for
Kids over 12 years to adults and over!
The Clay Talk Ceramics Centre in Montsalvat is a ceramics facility located in the grounds of Montsalvat – Australia’s oldest continuously active artists’ community. The studio is an addition to Montsalvat’s already rich history as a place where art is made, taught, shown and experienced.
At Clay Talk, we aim to be a creative environment that brings students and practitioners together through education and skills-based programs. Currently we offer classes where you can learn wheel throwing and hand building at all stages of development supplemented by specialist programs and workshops taught by established artists.
Cancellations & Refunds
If the organiser cancels the class:
You are entitled to a transfer or credit note.
If you can't attend the class:
You’re welcome to send someone in your place.
OR
You may cancel anytime before class starts and claim a full refund or transfer or credit note.
We recommend the refund upgrade option upon checkout in case you’re not able to attend the class. Learn more about refund upgrade option.
Terms & Conditions
TERMS & CONDITIONS
To secure your place in a class, course or workshop we require full payment at the time of booking.
Bookings are only accepted through our online portal at www.claytalk.weteachme.com/.
Payment of class, course or workshop fees can only be made through our online portal at www.claytalk.weteachme.com/.
ACCESS
Clay Talk studio is located on the grounds of Montsalvat. For this reason there are security measures in place to prevent trespassing and maintain your safety. Upon booking you should receive an Information Kit which has instructions on how to access Clay Talk studio.
REFUNDS / ABSENCE / TRANSFERS
- We DO NOT automatically offer refunds or transfers if you change your mind after you have made the booking.
- Our first option will always be to offer a credit note.
- Please be sure you are able to commit to the class, course or workshop dates and times prior to booking.
- If your circumstances have changed BEFORE the class or term starts and cannot commit, we will offer you a refund MINUS the 8% transfer fees incurred to process this of total cost you paid.
- We might be able to offer alternative arrangements if you cannot attend class by contacting us at claytalk@montsalvat.com.au to check if you are eligible within 5 working days of missing your class . Retrospective requests will not be accepted. Studio Access times are NOT make-up classes.
- Clay Talk reserves the right to cancel a class due to unforeseen circumstances such as insufficient enrolments. You will be notified prior to the class if cancellation of the class is deemed necessary and a pro-rata refund will be provided.
COVID
In the event of a lockdown or restrictions causing unavoidable or unforeseen interruption to the delivery of classes and workshops Clay Talk will endeavour to provide rescheduled classes and workshops.
In the event that students cannot attend the classes, students must email claytalk@montsalvat.com.au as soon as possible prior to the commencement of the rescheduled class or workshop. If a student is unable to attend the rescheduled classes or workshop Clay Talk may, at its absolute discretion, provide either a credit note or a pro-rata refund (minus an administration fee of 10%).
GIFT VOUCHERS
Gift vouchers are only available through our online portal www.claytalk.weteachme.com/. Gift vouchers can be purchased for a minimum of $20 and are valid for 3 years from purchase. Gift vouchers can be only be used for booking classes, courses and/or workshops at Clay Talk through our online portal. Gift vouchers can be applied at check out when booking a class, course or workshop.
FIRING OF WORK
Most workshops include firing and glazing of a specific number of pieces. Check the workshop listing description on our online platform. Students participating in one-off workshops must label their pieces with the name associated with their booking/ticket.
We take extreme care with your work but accidents do happen and we are unable to guarantee that your work will be successfully fired. Clay Talk takes no responsibility for failure or breakage of work.
Term classes:
- Firing of 2.5kg of finished work per student is included in the term class fee.
- Students can make and fire more work over this limit however additional charges apply.
- Students must label each of their pieces with their Makers Mark (your Makers Mark is made up of the initials of your first, middle & last name and your class code e.g. John Adam Smith = JAS). No Makers Mark will mean your work will not be fired.
If a kiln shelf is badly damaged from your work due to incorrect glaze type or clay body, you will be charged for the cost of replacing that shelf.
- If your work damages the interior of the kiln, you will be required to pay a fine based on the severity of the damage to be determined by the Clay Talk Studio Coordinator.
COLLECTION OF WORK
- Firing, glazing and packaging of your work takes approximately 2-4 weeks after your class/workshop.
- You will be notified by email when your work is ready for collection.
- Student work must be collected within 1 month of being notified. Students will be notified by email to the email address provided upon booking. If fired work, leftover clay and/or tools are not collected within this time it will be disposed of or donated to Clay Talk Fundraising.