Kirstie van Noort
Colour and Material studies in porcelain, Cornwall
Kirstie van Noort - Cornwall, UK, Porcelain pits | Photography Xandra van der Eijk
Cornwall, in the south-west of England, is known for its geology and coastal scenery. Since the High Middle Ages and continuing through development during the Industrial Revolution, tin mining has been important to the English economy. Until the 1990s, there were dozens of mines from which copper, tin and silver were extracted. But as demand for the metals fell, all the mines were forced to close. As the desire for metal declined, only the porcelain industry remained active.
The abandoned landscape is littered with the remains of these mines. Piles of tailings, discarded by the original metal industry, form extensive areas of colour that stretch out to touch each other. And thinking about the value of these colourful piles of material left in the landscape, Kirstie van Noort began her research in the area.
Kirstie van Noort - Cornwall, UK | Photography Xandra van der Eijk
Kirstie van Noort - Cornwall, UK | Photography Xandra van der Eijk
“How do we deal with the world around us? Where do our materials come from? The mining industry in Cornwall has left a huge footprint (literally) and makes us aware of where raw materials come from. I am grateful that I have found a new application for metal ores and that in this way, I am not dependent on ceramic pigments that are (in some cases) harmful to the environment.”
Kirstie van Noort - Cornwall, UK | Photography Xandra van der Eijk
Kirstie van Noort - Cornwall, UK | Photography Xandra van der Eijk
Kirstie van Noort
Graduating from Design Academy Eindhoven (department Man and Well-Being in 2011), Kirstie van Noort runs a design studio in the same city in the Netherlands.
The Dutch designer and researcher works by documenting the environment and conducting detailed tests and experiments with material samples. Kirstie, through design, can communicate a process or tell the story behind a material.
Colour and Material studies in porcelain, Collection Cornwall
Curious to understand more about the origin and production of porcelain, Kirstie spent about a month in Cornwall, where large quantities of clay are extracted each year.
First visiting Cornwall in 2011, Kirstie began to look in depth at its fascinating history and returned in 2014, which enabled the designer to obtain two hundred kilos of raw material.
The discarded tailings have since become the basis of a "ceramic paint" suitable for colouring porcelain. The designer and researcher created around 200 earth colours, with shades ranging from pinks to black.
The scarcity of certain raw materials and excess scrap is one of the main reasons Kirstie believes that it is essential to research (locally) discarded waste or materials. Hence, the main point she addresses in her workshop.
For Kirstie, her research is not about a particular waste but about a way of thinking.
"How do we deal with the world around us? Where do our materials come from? The mining industry in Cornwall has left a huge footprint (literally) and makes us aware of where raw materials come from. I am grateful that I have found a new application for metal ores and that in this way, I am not dependent on ceramic pigments that are (in some cases) harmful to the environment."
Colour and Material studies in porcelain, Collection Cornwall
Colour and Material studies in porcelain, Collection Cornwall
Colour and Material studies in porcelain, Collection Cornwall
Colour and Material studies in porcelain, Collection Cornwall
