“Nature as nature does not exist”

Roots are usually under the ground, hidden, at times intangible or even banished, yet they are strong, present, determining, and essential.
How is it possible to recall and bring forth that which ties us to ourselves and our historical past without connecting to that which is nature in us? The so called modern society, ruled by instrumental reason, not only aims to dominate and supress nature, but also that which is nature in human. There is a strong correlation between the suppression of female body and nature; both reflecting a violence engendered from the fear of the other. We have to recognise that we cannot put an end to war, exploitation, and subjugation without redefining our relationship with nature. No matter how content we are with our sense of control over nature, one concedes the illusionary aspect of this control when encountering the immensity of nature. In the same light, perhaps one has to reflect upon the sense of fear too, fear of something unknown, uncontrollable, and fear of death and erosion.

Adorno argues that nature as nature does not exist. This provocative remark aims to demonstrate that what we understand as nature is historically constructed; in a sense that our conception of nature now is significantly different to what was meant as nature a thousand years ago. Any conception of nature involves the interaction between human and nature at any given time. And this is what intrigues me about pottery, as it embodies this very hybridity. Pottery is human-nature, hence, pottery also has a temporal character.

Traditionally in potter, clay as nature is fired so that it becomes nature-human and turns to something enduring. What is pottery today as a contemporary medium? I would like to examine a different conception of pottery, one that embraces the ephemeral and changing character of both nature and human body. I would like to formally too think of a way of making pottery that is recyclable, or can return to nature. I have applied unfired clay and scrap metal plates to make this piece, to explore the ephemeral character of being. It is this that I invite the viewers to experience and contemplate.
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