Olivia Leigh Curtis

I focus on the fluid nature of materials and the application of their properties and phenomena. I carefully design aleatory (chance-based) experiments to gather data and design systems in which components react upon the introduction of a catalyst –often, gravity, heat, or tension– over time. This produces physical artifacts of moments. My main collaborators are ceramics and glass. Their extreme similarities and differences make them compatible with synthesizing new materials and techniques. They are separated by chemical makeup and cultural practices, however, their chemistry can be manipulated similarly between the two –both materials are made from the same basic components like silicates and fluxes– and historically they are closely linked. They have similarities in their usage as vessels, production techniques (ex. firing technology/working while spinning), and styles (ex. Cameo Glass/Jasper-ware). Also, they are often combined into new fusions like Egyptian paste, bone china, and futuristic glass-ceramic composites.