Gateway 21

making                                                   

Unfortunately, I can't find photos of the early stages of design process, so I can give you only words.

Next came a small 3D paper model.

Then full size paper model (every part of small model enlarged on photocopier and put together) 

After that all parts were cut out of 3mm mdf to make outer frame, + 10cm narrower version to make inner frame.

MDF frame was used to hold clay shapes. 

Here you can see stack of 3 blocks to the left, and one block on the right. Hopefully you can imagine MDF framework into which the wheel thrown bits were placed (well, thrown).

Arch is made of 21 blocks, and each block is made of hundreds wheel thrown little bits:

And then, of course, few blocks (first ones I made) had to be made again as they were not dense enough and developed big stress cracks in the glaze firing.

But finally, they were all made, bisque fired to 1000^o C, glazed with 2 glazes and fired to 1200^o C (cone 6).

After all that I could start thinking  about the assembly in more detail.