Pitfire test series to understand the process of painting with fire. Artist and Technician Wang Shuo from the Pottery Workshop gave a Pit Firing workshop about the theory and practice to the group, learning the processes of firing and impact of the craft and science of the firing towards enabling more contemporary approached and historical methods.
Pit firing is the original method for “baking” clay. It dates back nearly 30,000 years ago. This process is done typically in a hole in the ground, or a pit, pots are placed in the pit and burned. Pit firing is an atmospheric process all of the colours and patterns are derived from the process and what is consume in the fire. Items that are burned will turn to vapor and will swirl around the pieces in the pit. If the pieces are hot enough to have their pores open the coloured vapor will enter the pore and stay there, if not pot will not have color besides black, gray, or white.
