ABOUT
Atelier Anglais is the ceramic studio of Jess Gildersleve, based in Florence, Italy.
I make slip-cast porcelain tableware using traditional methods largely unchanged since the 1700s. Historical ceramics are a constant source. I sketch in clay and plaster, working three-dimensionally, thinking about silhouette and how an object holds itself in space.
I'm intrigued by the friction between technology and the objects we live with - what we gain by employing it, what we lose, and why we're still pulled towards something made by hand.
THE PROCESS
I work with hard-paste French porcelain, mixed from powder in my studio. The only machine is the mixer. Everything else is done by hand.
Each design begins as a clay form thrown on the wheel, then cast in plaster to create the master mould. Vessel and handle are cast separately - a two-part process that allows for the small variations that accumulate into personality.
Slip is mixed for hours before casting. A test piece calculates the casting time for that day - too short and the walls are thin, too long and they're heavy. Once emptied and trimmed, the moulds are left to dry for two days.
Handles attached, bases stamped with 'AA' - positioned by feel rather than measurement. Pieces dry for a week on wooden boards, then each one is sponged to smooth imperfections and taper the rim.
Bisque fired at 1000°C, then dipped in a transparent glaze. The final firing reaches 1300°C.
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