Paperclay Sculpture with Ian Gregory

By Joyce Michaud (Clay Times U.S.A Sept / Oct 1999).

Dozens of participants recently gathered in the clay studios at Hood College, Frederick, MD, to witness the spontaneous sculptural work of Ian Gregory and learn the magic of the paperclay technique. Gregory arrived for his demonstration with only three small tools: a wooden modelling stick, a broken saw blade sharpened into a knife and a felt-tip pen, lid intact. With a small square of 2" styrofoam, a bit of newspaper, a sheet of 1/4" bubble wrap and several braising rods placed at critical angles, Gregory's figures emerged with life and character.

"Ian chooses clay and the 'battlefield of the elements of earth, fire and water' as his medium to illustrate, where others may have chosen paper and paint." Writes his friend Phil Rogers. "Gregory is merely allowing us the privilege to have sight of his own personal vision of scenes conjured from whatever sources that intrigue and amuse him."

As his hands moved, intuitively adding clay and then cutting it away with fluid strokes, Gregory discussed the need for parallel development of expressive form and the making process, and presented in-depth information with an ease of knowledge as fluid as his strokes.

One of three independent inventors of paperclay, Gregory began using paper in his clay to lighten up his sculptures and open the clay body. "The simplest thing is to take the clay you normally use, gather all the scraps lying around and put them in a bucket of water, let it break down, and mix it to porridge consistency. Use three or four buckets of the clay slurry and a bucket of paper pulp and water blunged and drained until it is the consistency of bread dough. Combine it all together and thoroughly mix it, then let the paperclay mixture dry on a plaster slab to a working consistency," Gregory says.

Twenty-five percent pulp is the maximum amount that should be used. The least amount Gregory uses is about five percent. The amount of paper pulp added to the clay is dependent on the project. When the paperclay is well mixed, the openings created by the paper pulp are evenly distributed throughout the clay and remain after the firing to make the clay lighter.

The paper's molecular structure consists of tiny tubes that transport moisture from surface to surface. The tubes slowly feed moisture through the clay just like drinking straws and allow it to dry evenly. Paperclay handles and fires just the same as clay to which the pulp has not been added. The tiny molecular structure of the paper pulp does not interfere with the structure of the clay, but offers incredible flexibility in working. "You can take a handful of wet paperclay, add it to the surface of a huge bone-dry sculpture made from paperclay and the two will bind, balance the moisture content and be joined successfully. Or if after biscuit (bisque) firing break of an ear, just make a new ear from a fresh piece of paperclay stick on the bisqued work, bisque fire it again, and there it is," says Gregory.

If you leave paperclay more than two weeks, the structure of the paper (cellulose) begins to rot, turning the clay black. Once the pulp begins to rot, it loses the quality that makes it paperclay: the tubes are broken down and the paperclay becomes clay with a rather smelly internal gunk. If you want to keep a batch of paperclay wet and usable for about a month, add a spoonful of mild disinfectant similar to that used to disinfect diaper pails when you mix the clay (but do not use bleach). A better way is to prevent the disintegration of the paper pulp by rolling the paperclay out into slabs and leaving it to dry out completely. Once dry, the cellular structure doesn't break down, doesn't rot and doesn't develop an odour.

When you are ready to use the paperclay, lay a wet towel on the table, lay the dry sheet of paperclay over it, and leave it. The tubular structure in the paperclay will absorb the water slowly and gently. Within five or ten minutes, the clay is perfectly plastic and can be used as it is or wedged and worked as before. Just tear off what you need and start building.

Some common sources for paper pulp to use for experimenting are egg cartons, fast food cup holders, the padding of postal envelopes and even toilet paper. You can also buy in bails from paper suppliers and now some clay suppliers stock it, too. Pyramid Atlantic, a paper making studio in Beltsville, MD, sells blunged pulp. A bail of paper pulp can be used to make a half-ton of paperclay, making this medium fairly inexpensive.

During the workshop, Gregory demonstrated his use of bubblewrap as an armature for reclining dogs and small animals, which come alive in gesture and form under his skilled hands. First, he rolled a loose sausage shape of bubble wrap and secured it with a bit of masking tape. He then covered the bubble wrap completely with a slab of clay, sealing any openings. The internal armature of bubble wrap remains totally inert and completely stable as clay is formed, manipulated and details added. Because the bubble wrap does not absorb moisture (like wads of paper and other fillers), the clay form remains moist and workable over a period of time.

"To change the internal structure or reduce the volume, stab the bubbles with a needle, compress the clay and make desired changes. When the form is complete, allow the sculpture to dry in the usual manner. As the clay shrinks the bubbles pop or have enough plasticity that the shrinkage is taken up and the clay does not crack. I have never had any cracks with this method," Gregory stated emphatically.

Metal or wooden armatures can also be covered with bubble wrap to cushion clay shrinkage. Gregory uses one quarter inch square aluminium wire wrapped in bubble wrap to make armatures for his life-sized dogs which are made from a sculptor clay / paperclay with a high grog content. The aluminium wire or wood armature and bubble wrap burn out during firing, and the paperclay makes full-sized dogs light enough for one person to carry away.

Gregory captures the essence of personality and expression with his sculpted animals and vivacious figures. Using his braising rod armature he sculpted an animated dog and strutting figure on a structural base composed of a block of two inch styrofoam, a sheet of newspaper, a thin slab of clay, and another sheet of newspaper on top. The sheet of clay (called a setter by the English) remains under the animal or figure throughout the drying and firing process, and facilitates drying and shrinkage. It is a barrier between the kiln shelf and the sculpture, which shrinks at the same rate as the sculpture to prevent distortion during firing. It also acts as a barrier for runny glazes, especially in the salt kiln.

Gregory pierced through the whole lot with his metal braising rods (available from hardware stores) placed at critical angles. The thin-but-strong metal rods serve as an easily removable armature around which the form is built. The styrofoam block serves as an anchor to hold the rods in place at various angles. The rods also keep the clay in place, preventing the sagging which often occurs with the increasing weight of fluid clay. An 'X' produced by the angle of the rods creates an intersection which the clay cannot move past. If clay should begin to slump or slide down the rod in any area, the addition of a diagonal rod pushed through at a thirty degree angle will hold the clay above in place. Most armatures require one to stay within the confines of the original structure, but rods can actually be withdrawn and repositioned at any point in the making process, giving the artist complete structural control.

Gregory intuitively positions the rods at angles, in relationship to one another to determine the pose and define the posture of each individual animal or figure. The basic position of the supporting rods dictates the life of the moving figure: the point of balance, or the body language. To change the pose, he simply inserts a new rod at the proper angle, adding new clay and removing old clay. The leg is repositioned as needed by repositioning the rod. The figure must stand as a person would stand: on the point of balance.

Once the rods are in place, the clay is pinched onto the rods and the form is "skinned up" - putting a clay surface over the rods and connecting the upright structures with a clay bridge that becomes the belly, and then, torso. When the basic form of the piece is in place, Gregory adds an excess of clay with the basic idea of what shape it will take, then cuts away with a sharp knife to define form.

"Model makers add to build," says Gregory. "Most sculptors work by cutting back, looking for the planes and surfaces that define the form." Gregory does not create replications of animals or figures, but cuts back to the core, or the essence of movement. "It's about volume and ultimately how it behaves in its volume and how the light strikes the surface. Just as a good pot is about internal volume, and how interior and exterior forces make that volume, living quality is about the vivacity of muscle and bone pushing out against the outer surface, which imbue them with a sense of life and reality. Each piece must have its own life force."

Rods are removed when the piece is leather-hard. As the clay dries, the rods must be rotated to keep them free and prevent them sticking to the clay. Once the sculpture is strong enough to support itself, the rods should be rotated as they are withdrawn and the piece is allowed to dry. Holes are left when the rods are removed and can later be used to mount and secure the figure on a base for display in exactly the same position.

"The surfaces and tensions I search for, those that preoccupy my time are ambivalent, reflecting the passage of time, the material, the maker's hand in combination with the final metamorphosis of fire," says Gregory. His search continues as he moves to develop site-specific work, both domestic and monumental, using modular systems involving moving water, air and sound. His investigations continue as he explores raw dug local clays, making no concessions to refine the material - thus allowing the organic nature to enhance the surfaces and imbuing the object with a sense of place.