Porcelain Busts

Through this series of porcelain busts I've explored the link between clay and skin. During the Enlightenment, the notion of purity was conveyed by mantaining fair and flawless skin. It was also made evident in the infamous race among European nations to find a recipe for porcelain, a perfectly white and translucent clay body, free from impurities such as iron. Porcelain quickly became a popular material with which to convey the human form. It was often left unglazed as a way of representing skin- smooth, supple and ideal. Of specific importance to this group of busts is the commonly held Enlightenment belief that any birthmark is a direct result of a mother’s fears or unfulfilled desires during her pregnancy. This superstition is often referred to as Muter Mahler, or mother’s badness.