34A. All that Glitters is not Gold

Artwork number: 34A
Artist: Wendy Sullivan
Description: Stacked like ancient markers or fragments of a forgotten landscape, these raku totems explore the tension between surface beauty and inner substance. Their metallic sheens, iridescent blues, smoky blacks and flashes of copper and gold catch the light. Raku is a process of unpredictability - fire, smoke and chance leave their marks on each piece, creating surfaces that are impossible to replicate. Assembled into vertical totems, the individual pieces become something greater than themselves: a gathering of contrasting shapes, colours and textures, each with its own character, yet connected through balance and tension.
All that Glitters Is not Gold invites you to question what you value and perceive, and what lies beneath the surface. In the dappled light of the forest, the sculpture reflects their surroundings while quietly challenging the notion that outward brilliance tells the whole story.
Artist statement: I love playing with clay and fire, and the endless ideas of what I can create using various hand building techniques. There is a lot of fun and excitement to be had, experimenting with creating spontaneous, natural, and unpredictable surface decoration using pit, saggar and raku firings. I push all the boundaries with these firings, including the shapes and forms - often large and sculptural.
I am very inspired by the following quote from Mary Lou Cook: "Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes and having fun", and that's exactly where I'm at!