Common Ground - A Taxonomy of Connections
Royal College of Art & Imperial College London, 2024
Material: Clay, Copper & Aluminium
Fusion is a collection of utensils and cutlery crafted from extracted earth and scrap metal from various London construction sites.
Fusion Collection 2024
Material Exploration
We started by collecting and processing the material before refining and sifting the clay into a variety of aggregate sizes. We then reintroduced water to form a plastic medium to work with.
From our sintering samples, we discovered that when the temperature increased, the clay became denser, leading to shrinkage. This phenomenon occurs when clay particles bind together to form a glass, a process known as vitrification. The clay continues to shrink until it reaches its peak density, resulting in maximum shrinkage and vitrification. However, beyond this point, we saw that the clay became less dense and, in some cases, even increased in size and bloating.
Clay and metal share a material kinship. They are both crystalline and components of the same stone, forming our common ground. Once extracted, they are converted into their functional states by human intervention. The goal of this test was to explore how we could reunite the separate states of these materials to uncover their natural connection in situ.
Copper foil, silver clay, and phosphor bronze were placed into grooves made in 75mm discs of London Clay and allowed to air dry. As the clay dried, it shrunk, displacing the metal from its grooves, and causing cracks and breaks in some areas. Interestingly, the clay bent the phosphor bronze ever so slightly, comparable to human force.
Phosphor bronze has a melting point range of 880°C (solidus) to 1025°C (liquidus). To melt the metal to facilitate its reaction and fusion with the metal ions present in the clay, a small sliver of clay embedded with phosphor bronze was fired in the oven at 950°C, with a ramp-up temperature of 20°C/hr and an hour of resting time. Interestingly, this resulted in the piece exploding into pieces in the oven, with a shard of phosphor bronze patinated and fused to the clay.
Fusion achieved!
Inspired Forms
Inspired forms and made with forged steel.
The above forms are brutalist in nature, created by heating mild steel rods and billets in a forge to 950°C until they are red hot, then pounding them with a hammer and using borax powder and glass powder to prevent oxidation.
A01
Inspired forms and making with found metal.
The above forms were made from waste sheet metal and metal rods, which were then bent and brazed together to create a new form of cutlery etiquette.
A02
Collection 2024
Fusion Knife: This utensil features a handle made from London Clay, fired at 950°C. The head of the utensil is made from bent copper and brass sheet metal, seamlessly joined together using a rivet.
Fusion Spoon: This utensil showcases a handle crafted by braiding copper wire around a copper cage encasing a London Clay half sphere fired at 950°C
Fusion Knife: This utensil showcases a handle crafted by braiding copper wire friction fitted inside a London Clay brutalist handle fired at 950°C.
Fusion Plate: This utensil showcases aplatemadeusingcoiledLondonClay fired at 950°C, with a deep-drawn aluminium rim finished in matte.
Rooted in the acts of making, this collection aims to evoke curiosity, ignite historical narratives, and encourage moments of reflection. Central to this taxonomy are the connections and joints, serving as temporary intermediaries between earth and metal. By transitioning from one object to the next, we discern the effects of distinct connections, methods of joining, and colours.
All photos © Common Ground Collective