I Can't Believe It's Concrete

I was a bit behind on a very special job for a friend of ours who was opening an upscale/funky store and coffee bar. I had been commissioned  to make an "industrial chic," curved coffee bar from concrete. To get things done on time, I enlisted Alison's help - things always seem to turn out better when she is involved. At the end of the pour - while I was doing the finish troweling - Alison asked what we should do with a bit of left over concrete. I suggested that she make "something" with it.  Interesting things happen when you give a potter who is accustomed to throwing thin, consistent pots on a wheel - a steel salad bowl for a form, a blob of wet concrete and some time. Frankly...the results are remarkable. Alison made this bowl... it is thinner than concrete is 'supposed to be', it has mother of pearl inlaid in a way that would 'normally' not work and the edge is not even. Under the circumstances, Alison had no expectations when she started this piece...the results really didn't matter. Imagine my surprise when I de-molded the bowl the next morning and uncovered a thin, beautiful, work of art. It took a bit of filling and polishing to get it into "display" condition, but the results are simply stunning. When polishing the bowl, I asked Alison if she wanted me to cut down the rim for an even edge, after a quick look, Alison suggested that we leave it "live"....it turned out to be a good decision.

It is interesting to see how people respond to this bowl. The first thing is disbelief that something so elegant is hand crafted from concrete. The second thing is that everyone wants to touch it. They caress the rim and wonder why something uneven and somewhat unfinished is so appealing. The inside is smooth and silky and the outside is mottled and slightly rough. This bowl is a result of not following (or even knowing) 'the rules of concrete', using a set of skills from another medium (clay) and collaborating with someone who knows how to finish and seal designer concrete. Alison knocked it out of the park with this bowl. I suspect that we will be exploring just how thin we can go with concrete while maintaining function.

$149.00