Eden, M., 2008.

The Wedgwoodn't Tureen

Having established an international reputation for his Studio Ceramics, Michael Eden has spent the past 7 years investigating the relationship between traditional ceramic techniques and emerging digital tools. The project pioneers the use of technology and materials that were developed for engineering purposes and necessitates their ongoing adaption for the production of artworks.
Experiential research has focused on the act of making, investigating the transfer of tacit knowledge and haptic skills, resulting in a body of work that utilizes Additive Manufacturing (including 3D printing) as a creative medium. The artworks take historic, culturally significant objects as their inspiration, redesigning them in order to address contemporary issues and fully exploit the technology, allowing the creation of artworks previously impossible to manufacture. Through this iterative process new insights have been articulated that identify both the similarities and differences of the contrasting workspaces and the experience of developing the particular craft skills required to appropriate new technology.
‘The Wedgwoodn’t Tureen’ was the first artwork to use non-fired ceramic material and the series has received a number of awards and widespread international attention, with pieces acquired by museums in the UK, USA, and Canada, as well as by numerous private collectors. It was acknowledged by Apollo magazine as one of the 24 most important international museum acquisitions of 2010.

The project has generated significant insights that have been articulated through various videos, writings, presentations and exhibitions including:
Cheongju International Craft Biennale, Korea, (where ‘The Wedgwoodn’t Tureen’ was seen by ½ million visitors); Peer-reviewed essay for the Centre for Art, Design, Research and Experimentation (CADRE) at the University of Wolverhampton, published in Craft Research by Intellect Books; Exhibited at 10 Downing Street during 2012; ‘The Genius of Design’, BBC 2 and Quadrille Publishers; 10.000 Years of Pottery, Cooper, Emmanuel. The British Museum Press.