Porcelain Sandwich (HC1055)

Catalogue Record

Collection

Maker

Title

Porcelain Sandwich

Made in

Scarborough

Date

2014

Description

Slip-cast, unglazed porcelain model of a triangular cheese sandwich.

Materials and techniques

Slip cast using Audrey Blackman porcelain. Fired once to 1260 degrees Celcius. Cast from a real sandwich.

Dimensions

width:  14.65cm
depth:  7.75cm
height:  2.95cm

Object number

HC1055

Category

  • Porcelain Sandwich, Karen Thompson, 2014, © Karen Thompson. Crafts Council Collection: HC1055. Photo: Relic Imaging Ltd.

  • Porcelain Sandwich, Karen Thompson, York Curiouser 2014, 2014 © Karen Thompson. Photo: Ian McKinley.

  • Porcelain Sandwich, Karen Thompson, York Curiouser 2014, 2014 © Karen Thompson. Photo: Ian McKinley.

  • Porcelain Sandwich, Karen Thompson, York Curiouser 2014, 2014 © Karen Thompson. Photo: Karen Thompson.

  • Porcelain Sandwich, Karen Thompson, York Curiouser 2014, 2014 © Karen Thompson. Photo: Ian McKinley.

  • Porcelain Sandwich, Karen Thompson, York Curiouser 2014, 2014 © Karen Thompson. Photo: Karen Thompson.

  • Porcelain Sandwich, Karen Thompson, York Curiouser 2014, 2014 © Karen Thompson. Photo: Ian McKinley.

Maker's statement

The porcelain sandwiches were an idea conceived and then executed; there was very little development in relation to research, experimentation or the studying of my craft further to the knowledge I had at the outset.
I see the work as a stand-alone intervention. It has similarities to a couple of my previous projects in respect of it being a slip cast multiple of an existing object that I have reproduced in porcelain. (Previous works being ‘Fragile’ & ‘We Must Fit In’).

Initially the idea for the sandwiches came from watching tourists and holiday makers at Scarborough. Sandcastles, knotted hankies and sandwiches were all easy associations to make. As I’m drawn to the surreal, for some time I had envisaged the idea of making porcelain sandwiches and leaving them on benches and seating areas. I loved the idea of someone sitting eating their sandwich next to a random ceramic sandwich. I approached York Curiouser with the idea for the sandwiches as Scarborough hadn’t felt like the right place to site them and I thought a heritage city was much more suited to this project. I would like for the porcelain sandwiches to appear in other heritage cities including Bath and Edinburgh.

The large dilemma I had with this project was whether I should glaze the porcelain sandwiches or leave them unglazed. I opted for unglazed to make them more realistic and lifelike, perhaps they are too lifelike! During the project some sandwiches were broken by folks brushing them onto the floor when they had been left on benches. I was fascinated by the idea that the breaking of the sandwich would have then challenged the persons to rethink their thought processes and assumptions.

Karen Thompson, 19 December 2014.