This array of clay samples on display at the Design Museum of Brussels was made from soils collected from around the Netherlands and Germany. Though the variety of tones are are of course interesting, I’m most drawn (as a materials scientist) to the varying amounts of shrinkage experienced by each piece upon firing. Differences in the microscopic structure of the underlying clay bodies prior to firing (e.g., amount of moisture) likely contributed to macroscopic differences upon firing.
Unless the original samples were different sizes. But given the rest of the homogeneous approach (even down to the identifying stamps in each), I’d be awfully disappointed in the artist if that were the cast.
Decaseconds 