Terracotta Ionic Capital

Material Values - Terracotta

The use of Terracotta (meaning 'fired earth') in buildings of the late C19th was commonplace (especially in the UK). The ubiquitous sill trim or commemoration plaque now faded and cracked still forms the background to many urban streetscapes. As a material in the late C19th it was used and marvelled at in much the same way as the glass curtain wall is today (and the glass curtain wall will have its day also). Terracotta does have an undeserved reputation for poor longevity - but (oh) when it is used in the right way it takes on an artistic quality verging on the sublime.

One of my favourite 2nd hand bookstore finds is a book entitled Terra Cotta of the Italian Renaissance (1928 The Terra Cotta Association). It is toe top full of beautiful black and white plates of C16th terracotta details in Galatrona, Bologna, Pavia, Monza, Milano and Venezia. In its intro it says ' There is much to be gained from a study of this inspirational early Italian work a more sympathetic appreciation of the true spirit of the clay medium. It is in this frank, sincere handling of material that we may recognise much of their compelling interest and dignity.'

Ubiquity? Listen to this list of artists who worked in the medium - Donatello, Bruneleschi, Alberti, Bramante, Michael Angelo and Luca della Robbia!

Longevity? Most of the C15th buildings survive to this day.

The top image is of a frieze taken from a C19th former technical school in a small town in the north of England and it has qualities which are just as profound as the work of Donatello. It is of its period and holds the cultural messages and observances of its period - it tells us so much of its originators and is articulated all the better in the terracotta medium. The building is shortly to be demolished but the frieze is to be saved (if possible) and used to commemmorate the towns past and help maintain some of its former identity. You can view the full frieze at my photo blog site here.

For a remarkable resource on Terracotta (with a US slant) try Friends of Terra Cotta

View all of my images with a terracotta theme

Blueprint for a better world

The image on the left is part of a frieze taken of a building under threat of demolition.

One of my main working principles when photographing a building is to try and capture its essence, and the identity of the people who built it, worked and lived in it; particularly when the building is under threat or at risk. This way the images I make can be used as a sort of cultural swatch to help provide a greater range of nutrients to any new development or to any interior refurbishment.

This brings to mind a fascinating article in November's BLUEPRINT magazine. Entitled : FRUITS OF LABOUR. It describes the remarkable philosophy behind the latest Timberland Boot Company Store development. The company has taken over a historic building (former banana warehouse) in Spitalfields, London, and through a philosophy of understanding the building, helped restore a delapidated structure. They have also created a fascinating retail space which helps build bridges with the fiercly conservative community. To Quote Blueprint "Russell Ashdown, who headed up the project at Checkland Kindleysides, describes the creative process as being more 'investigative archaeology' than retail design. Intensive research was done into the sites history.......In this way the look and feel of the store would grow organically out of the site itself. Not only would Timberland save money but a piece of local history would be left intact."

This sort of approach doesn't always apply just to buildings, but also to whole townscapes and cityscapes. Today I had a meeting in my local town which has a wonderful conservation area but has been affected by the unimaginative placement of a traffic island (in the 1970's) which effectively split the town in two and cauterized the lifeblood from the area. New planning decisions and developments should grow out of our local communities in the same way that Timberland has shown with the Spitalfields development.

Blueprint Magazine: www.blueprintmagazine.co.uk