To create a refined ceramic from I have decided to develop my slip casting mould skills! helped by Ed Bentley a rebounded and experienced slip mould craftsperson. We started by using plaster to in fill the gap created for the foot.
Ed demonstrating how to infill the shoe with plaster to create the opening of the slip mould.
Plaster mould spare
Essential plaster tools !
Lining up the shoe before the next stage of plaster pouring.
Lining up the boards before pouring in the plaster.
Identifying the highest point on the shoe before pouring the plaster.
Placing boards around the shoe pouring plaster around the shoe waiting 20 minutes then removing the boards.
Marking the highest point on the shoe.
Cleaning around the shoe.
Packing clay around the shoe to ensure the difference on high of the twist in the shoe is compensated for.
Smoothing the clay to ensure a smooth plaster surface.
Ready for plaster pouring.
Assembling the side ready for plaster.
Adding the widgets using uhu to secure them.
It’s essential to soft soap any plaster surfaces to ensure the 2 surfaces release.
Cleaning the plaster mould surfaces.
Ed reminding me about under cuts and how they can grab at the slip forms.
Finessing the surface!
Ensuring the mould doesn’t warp whilst it drys using packaging tape.
Finished left shoe !!!
Many thanks Ed I have learnt lots !
First slip cast shoe using white earthenware slip.
Timing are essential when leaving the slip in the mould.
Slip cast shoe
Experimenting?
Disaster !
Disaster plus plus !!
Experimenting with steel to explore the pain pleasure elements
Experimenting with steel and opening up the shoe toe
Allowing the form to dry
The prepping stage to create a penis mould
Trying to bend the shoe into different forms
Plaster mould of the penis
Experimenting with the penis mould and the shoe
Trying to change the shape of the shoe form by manipulating the slip cast shoe.
Latex objects to experiment with using slip cast plaster moulds.
Preparation stages to slip cast a head.
Dolls head
Preparation stages.
Preparation stages.
Bharti Kher’s exhibition at the Yorkshire Sculpture park ‘Alchemies ‘ blurs the boundaries between animals, humans, nature, and objects.In Kher’s artwork, women’s bodily experiences occupy a central position seen from her own perspective.
Kalliopi Lemos’s bag of inspirations (2018)
Lemos’s work a sculpture in metal has been quite inspirational particularly the show she created exploring how women have a bag of tools to help them deal with the world.
I decided to explore the area of objectification creating plaster moulds of penis and attaching them to the shoe.
Work in progress
Creating a plaster mould from a dolls torso
Creating a heel shaped head looking at when objectification started.
Leather hard nearly ready to fire.
The original red shoes and part of the moulds.
Plaster moulds made in the process of creating the mould.
more parts of the mould
The shoe form created from the mould with a penis heel.
Example of how the shoe looks straight from the mould.
Experimenting with manipulating the shoe form whilst still quite wet.
Using the babies arms to explore the idea that we are shaped into societies expectations very early on.
Examples of slip cast forms
Exploring the pleasures and pain aspect of shoe and objectification.
Experimenting with steel nails and screws within the theme of pain and pleasure.
Experimenting with parian which I found hard to work with as it seemed to dry very quickly.
A different penis form 
Red underglaze
Experimenting with a skirt mould as a heel 
Clear gaze applied
I really loved this exhibition and have found her work has influenced my art work.
Linder’s art work at the HAYWOOD has been influential in my collages as well.
Wow this was an impactful experience Leigh Bowery at the Tate in London it brought back lots of clubbing memories!! The outfits and shoes were inspirational.
