In Olav Slingerland’s studio, craftsman, artist, and designer go hand in hand. This artist discovered the small-scale casting of ceramics during his Industrial Design studies. Because he controls the total process from design to final product, he is able to produce work with a very personal character on a small scale.
The combination of terra sigillata and shiny glaze is characteristic of his earthenware objects. He explores the limits of craftsmanship and design with these objects, which often make reference to articles of everyday use without actually being so. By hanging the work on the wall or presenting it in a monumental context he reacts to that functionality. A bowl or dish can be an object by itself, but through repetition and combination the status of the work is elevated.
The series ‘Drops’ and ‘Lines’ have been developed in collaboration with Jacqueline Heidanus, who is specialized in pattern design. Together they sought a way to give the objects a second skin by working from the material and the pouring technique. Hand-treating the mold results in a relief of drops or lines in different patterns. In combination with the flow of the glaze, this technique results in unique bowls with a variety of optical effects.
Slingerland’s work looks typically Dutch: clear design with bold colors. Because the work is poured into molds, the price/quality ratio is quite favorable. Partly for this reason, the public is stimulated to combine iterations of forms, raising the object to a monumental status. Each time the forms are combined, a different composition is created, so that a serial production still results in a unique work of art.
