Conversing with Matter

-Expo Impromptu Mini Graduation Show #3

The ongoing industrial need for clay exhausts natural resources and damages the environment. Benedetta Pompili looked into responsible ways to extract clay, like working with polluted river clay – which cleans the river banks – and the option of adding a filler to reduce the amount of clay needed. She found this filler in treated, fiber free asbestos. Once treated, it’s no longer dangerous and also lends insulation and heat-resistant qualities to the clay. The industrial white clay, that was added by a marbling technique, stabilizes the natural clay and brings together contrasting extractive stories.