Linda Arbuckle
The work shown is terracotta with a majolica glaze, fired to cone 03 in an electric kiln.
Pieces may combine thrown, altered, and hand-built sections. In the case of oval teapots, for instance, the body is a thrown, bottomless round that is adjusted, put on a slab bottom, and capped with an added slab shoulder. The neck is thrown or thrown and altered, and added to the body.
Majolica is a glaze tradition that began in the Middle East with a tin-opacified, viscous glaze. Because the glaze does not move much when it melts, lines and colon painted on the raw glaze retain crispness and position when fired. A bisqued piece of terracotta is dipped in the white liquid glaze, and colorants mixed with afiux are used on this dried, unfired glaze like watercolor painting.
Historically, the Middle Eastern potters developed the white, opaque, viscous glaze, and later added an additional firing of metallic luster to many works. Influenced by Islamic religious codes, much of the work has floral/geometric interlaces and may be embellished with calligraphic maxims from the Koran in Kufic script. After Muslims conquered northern Africa, they crossed Gibraltar into Spain and brought this pottery technology with them. Spanish pottery showed Moorish influence in materials and style. The Italians imported much of this work via Majorca, giving the name "majolica" to the ware. Later countries importing this type of pottery from Faenza referred to it as "faience", and from the port of Delft in Holland as "Delftware". There is some confusion later, as relief pottery with bright areas of monochromatic, transparent lead glazes were also called "majolica" after the bright color of the original Italian tin-glazed ware (e.g. Minton Majolica from England, currently a collectable). The Processes are not related, although the terms "faience" and "majolica" may be used to describe both.
My use of majolica often involves visually overlapping areas of color and a colored ground. Because the direction and movement ofthe brush is revealed in the stroke (as in watercolor), images in the foreground are protected with a wax resist before the next colors are brushed on, enabling a broad sweep of the brush.
The majolica base glaze does not contain lead, nor do any of the colors used on the inside surfaces of foodware. The glaze is a hard glaze and will stand up to normal use. Exposure to heat and/or cold shock may cause some crazing ofthe glaze, but it remains durable and useful. The body will microwave and bake when treated like pyrex (i.e. no stovetop heating over direct heat or dramatic temperature changes such as going from freezer to hot oven). The exposed clay surfaces (feet, lid seats, etc.) are sealed with a terra sigellata to reduce porosity and give a finished look.
Aesthetically, I want my work to balance control of form with spontaneous movement of surface. I've always loved the personal experience of indulgence in function, like a hand-made postcard sent to a friend. The decoration is time-intensive, but the feeling intends to be warm and lively.
