After working with string as texture for slab-built pieces, I pushed the idea further by pressing slabs onto suspended string formwork. As a result, the finished skin of the vessel directly related to the shape. The process allowed me to press the slab through openings in the string design revealing voids, linear supports, and intersections. I could also reveal the stress upon the clay by highlighting cracks and fractures formed during the stretching process.
In this project, the string jig acted as a sort of test model, a way to visualize the form before solidifying it in clay. However, the complexity of the form was limited by the need to drape clay from one direction. I wanted to find a way to express more complicated string forms and, at the same time, reveal a greater sense of tension and movement. This led me to the Vessels inTension project.

Process:
I wrap and weave a string form, using flat diagrams to help me make 3 dimensional decisions. Once the string formwork is complete, I drape it with a clay slab and press the clay into cracks and voids. Sometimes, I will use more than one slab to drape or attach clay where needed for stability. When the slabs have stiffened up, I carefully remove the string, leaving the texture intact.