Unfurled

A informative documentation tool I have been refining is an imaging format series I’ve suitably titled Unfurled.  Two images of the same subject are placed side by side: on the left, a traditional documented image; and on the right, an image of the subject in a 360-degree viewing.  This way of documenting work is intended to picture all sides of a finished piece and present it as a story to be read like a book.  For example, Unfurled Vessel in Red (top left image) shows the form along with varied wood firing results in a single complimentary and informative view.  One of my favorite images of the series is Unfurled Bottle (third image from top on left) because it shows such extreme variations in color and surface texture in one wide picture.  “Reading the fire” is often discussed at wood firings as a tool to inform how the kiln is progressing during a firing.  Reading the fire also has its value in examining the results of the work after a wood firing, and by digitally unrolling one of these vessels as one would unroll a written scroll the Unfurled image series is helpful to better understand the process and effects.