Stamps: Clay

Since doing my paper making, I have had the idea of creating large stamps to accompany my suitcases. I felt that suitcase and stamps work effectively together, as they both relate to themes of travel, movement and personal journeys, creating a clear visual and conceptual link when placed side by side.

To begin, I conducted research into stamps from different time periods, ranging from 1937 to 2022. This included examples featuring George VI, Elizabeth II and Charles III. I produced initial drawings out these three stamp as a note to myself what they looked like. At this point, I was unsure what I wanted to put on my own stamps, so this acted as a starting point for visual research and development.

Once I had drawn the stamps, I decided to make the stamp out of air-dry clay. This was a quick and exploratory test opposed to a highly detailed outcome as I didn’t intend on this being a final piece. Instead, the aim of this experiment was to investigate the material and physical presence of the stamp form. This experiment allowed me to begin thinking about how stamps could function within my work and how they conceptually connect with the suitcases.