How to Make a Porcelain Vacuum Cleaner

Not that I'd recommend anybody try this in Arts & Crafts class(who'd WANT to do this ??) but here are in-process shots of "Horror Vacuui"....which you can see finished in the blog just below. Here I am in my cluttered studio working on it, with the "muse" Kirby Classic Model III sitting in the background.

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It began with the motor, which was built with slabs and then carved when leatherhard... with designs from the Louvre's Baptistery of St. Louis, a remarkable piece of Islamic inlaid metalwork.

Greenware is so darned fragile...Bottom of the vacuum, wheels and all.

Then, I picked up the texture from a kilim rug to fold into the vacuum's carpet bag... stuffed with paper while drying.

The motor and bag were enough to fill the kiln, so they got bisqued first. Next, made the handle and extension cord (got to use an extruder for that, fun!) Also, made two blank scarves which are supposed to look like they are getting sucked up into the motor.

Onward to painting on the bisque, or in some cases already vitrified parts fired to Cone 6.

Here's a detail from Botticelli's Primavera (Uffizi Gallery) on the left, and right, design elements from a prayer rug in the Metropolitan Museum.

On the two scarves, I copied Ingres' Turkish Bath (Louvre), and Picasso's Demoiselles d'Avignon (MOMA).

Finally got a look at how the bag would fit onto the motor...precariously! Obviously didn't fire it this way, but with the bag separate and flat. (on the right is the bucket of Tinkertoys...next piece)

From here on, it was a matter of painting and firing, over and over until the final metallics were applied, gold and white gold together, with a black metallic in the background.

Then, as I describe in the previous blog, the hose and small attachment were added at the end, as separate components, signifying the cleaning out of hell. A few touches of acrylic to disguise cracks, etc. were needed. Title is apt: "HORROR VACUUI".

Here it is, first view in the studio.. left. The bag fell off five times before I stuck a board up inside it, with epoxy. It is now quite sturdy. The whole thing got assembled for a photo shoot by Rusty Jackson. Somehow that makes it real.