Meg Patey

Artist Statement

MEG PATEY ARTIST STATEMENT 2023 My studio is based in the Southern Highlands of NSW surrounded by tall eucalypt trees. This rural space provides a wonderful ambiance in which to work. The ancient Persian technology of reduced lustre which requires three separate firings is the focus of my practice. My work is made from terracotta clay, and I use slip to draw on and through to create lines and marks as a foundation for my decoration. I sometimes add brushwork, using cobalt and copper to gently react with the lustre firing. In the final stage of making lustre pigments are applied and fired. This firing relies on wood being introduced into the kiln to produce iridescent lustre on the surface of the work. I love the mystery and secret nature of reduced lustre – never knowing exactly what is going to be revealed. There is an intensity to the process which keeps me on edge. After the final firing, I wait to see what surprises the magic of flame and smoke have offered.