September 19, 2024
D.PROVIZOR x JDW 2024.
In the area known as Hotem HaCarmel, located within walking distance of my childhood home, lies the
abandoned Binyamina quarry. After opening in the 1930s, the quarry spread over an area of half a hectare, providing both natural resources and employment to the residents of the region.
▶ Later, following acts of natural restoration and rehabilitation, the quarry came alive with plant life, wildlife and water sources. During my childhood, I would often visit the site, and after delving into the art of ceramics, I returned in search of new clays. While adopting the role of vigilante explorer, I searched the site and discovered a treasure chest. ‘The Quarry’ allows a glimpse into a research process that simultaneously acts as a conservation of local material, presents the results of material examination, and allows for new insight into the known elements around and underneath us.
▶ The research table presents a series of material tests developed from raw elements collected directly from the quarry. The exploration includes both wild clays and other natural matter such as soil, flint, rocks, fossils, and algae. I created custom ceramic bodies by processing different types of found clay, alongside a range of glazes derived from the listed materials.
Materials Tested:
Wild Clay
Soil
Flint
Rock
Fossil
Algae
Outcomes:
– Experimental clay bodies
– Surface and glaze tests
– Color and texture mapping
Photograph by Dor Kedmi.