This artwork is a result of research based on the Exploration of taconite mining waste.
Taconite has been mined for iron ore production in Northern Minnesota for many years. Because of its role in the state’s economy, it is widely recognized as a part of Minnesota’s cultural identity.
Mining operations have drastically altered the landscape and, in many cases, polluted Lake Superior’s beaches and waters with waste tailings - fragments of crushed ore with a less than satisfactory iron content for steel production.
Tailings were collected along the Lake Superior shore near Silver Bay, MN, and brought to the studio for use.
Taconite’s chemical composition (mostly silica with varying amounts of iron) allows the mineral to be used in various ways within the context of ceramics.
With these pieces, the artist is interested in exploring the resource as a granular pigment for a series of ceramic paintings. The mineral is used in its natural state and is fluxed to fired tiles using various glazes and porcelain slips.