Pottery can be described in many ways, but, unless Demi and Patrick are getting sexy at the wheel, mesmerizing is probably not one of them. That is, until you see this perfect little clip commissioned by the UK Crafts Council, which shows a lump of clay transform into an earthenware zoetrope. I could stare at this thing all day. I have stared at this thing all day! It's so, so good.
Filmmakers Jim Le Fevre and Mike Paterson teamed up with RAMP Ceramics to put together the short film. It looks like a computer was used to figure out the individual frames, then super-super-steady hands cut all the patterns out from newsprint and impossibly tiny bits of paper that were then applied with care to the piece itself.
When the finished work of art comes out of the kiln, it's beautiful—but only hints at the visual surprise once it starts spinning.
How they got those birds to fly so gracefully, I do not know, but this whole thing is a wonderful mash-up of media and experimental craft, tech, and design. Here's hoping that it inspires more folks to get ultra-wild with their creative skills. [@CraftsCouncilUK]