05x08 - Self-Sculpture, Sawdust Kilns and Candlesticks

[bunniefuu]

Hello there.
Big week here at the pottery.

It's the quarterfinals,
and the five remaining potters

are making
abstract self-sculptures,

and building their own kiln.

Not only that,
but since breaking my leg,

this is my first week back.

I thought there'd be a bit more
of a fuss, really, you know.

Thought there'd be a bit...
they'd be here cheering me back,

there'd be bunting,
or balloons or something,

but it's almost as if the show
isn't entirely about me.

Welcome to
The Great Pottery Throw Down.

Guys? I'm back.

I'm back. It's Siobhán.

Siobhán McSweeney.

- Last time...
- I don't know what I'm doing.

...animal table lights
lit up the pottery.

Oh, my God!
That is a massive beaver!

And AJ's sea otter
claimed top spot.

Genius. Beautiful.

But while Lucinda's badger
wasn't quite set...

I forgot to put a hole in it.
Bother.

...it was Tom
who was out of his depth.

I thought
I was a boring potter,

but it turns out I'm not.

I feel proud of myself.

- Now...

- Oh, sorry.
- ...it's the quarterfinal.

It looks terrifying.

As the potters construct

abstract self-sculptures...

- Great arse.
- Just wanna squeeze it.

...and, in a Throw Down first,
build their very own kilns.

- OK, here we go.
- As well as becoming

off-the-hump
candlestick makers.

Do another, do another, yes.

Who will stand proud?

Of course you're crying.
You'd be a stone not to.

And who will self-destruct?

Our five remaining potters
are back,

and all that stands
between them and the semifinal

are two challenges
and the small task

of building and firing
their own kiln.

Quarterfinals.
I can't believe it.

It's self-sculpture week.

This is massively intense
as a challenge.

It's kind of tricky
to think about

how you want to represent
yourself through a pot.

Never done
a self-sculpture before,

and I've never done
this sort of firing before.

We have to build
our own kiln as well,

so there's
a lot of elements to this

and it's gonna be
quite exciting.

Good morning, potters,
and welcome back to the pottery.

This is a very special week,
not only because I'm back,

but because
it's the quarterfinals.

Congratulations to each
and every one of you.

This week, the judges
would like you to hand-build

a full-bodied
self-sculptural object.

Yes, that's right, folks,
you are the inspiration

and the ultimate vision
of this week's make.

Because it's abstract in style,
we want you to accentuate

some or all of those body parts.

So you'll be using
a grogged white clay body

and sawdust firing
in a handmade brick kiln

using combustible materials.

Your abstract self-sculptures
should be smooth surfaced,

so we really want to see you

using those
combustible materials

to full decorative effect.

You have six and a half hours.

Your time starts...

I like this bit.

...now.

- Oh, sorry, sorry.

It's just 'cause
there's so few of us here.

- Everything's gonna sound loud.
- Everything sounds louder.

I've never done
any self-sculpture

or self-portraiture
or anything like that before,

but I'm kind of liking
the abstractness of this.

It is a tricky one.
I'm feeling a bit nervous.

I'm kind of winging it.

So, Keith,
what a challenge.

We're asking our potters
to sculpt themselves

in an abstract form,

and we're using
an alternative firing process.

I mean, we're packing
a lot in here.

This is the quarterfinal, so,
you know, we're upping the game,

and it's gonna be
so interesting to see

what our potters
really think of themselves

in that kind of abstract style.

Yeah, because, I mean,
looking around the table here,

none of these examples
really have a sense of realism.

They've got kind
of exaggerated proportions,

or just nods to human elements,

but they are very clearly based
around the human form.

Our potters have
really got to think about

how they're going to assemble
these structures together.

Are they gonna do slab-building,
coiling, pinching?

It's quite an aggressive firing,
isn't it?

You know, it puts a lot of
stress and strain on the clay,

so any joins, any seams,

they need to be
absolutely watertight.

And for me, getting a smooth
surface is quite critical.

Definitely. I mean, some of the
potters might choose to burnish.

And for that they might use
a spoon or a metal kidney.

- Or a stone.
- A stone, yeah.

There's so many
different approaches.

And that
beautifully smooth surface

is gonna act as the backdrop,
the blank canvas,

for all of those flames
to kind of lick and move around.

I'm so excited about this.
It's so elemental.

With clay, with sort of fire,
it's just kind of so raw.

The minute they put them
in that chamber,

and submerge them
in all that sawdust,

who knows what we might get?

- Hi, Anna.
- Hello. How are youse?

- How you doing?
- OK.

I'm a bit confused.

I was led to believe

that this would be chaotic,

at the very least,

and this looks
quite organized to me.

Siobhán, they're dreadful liars.

I knew they were liars.

I've been saying it for years.
Absolute liars.

Come on, Anna,
tell us about your design.

Right, I've based my design
on kind of my physical being

and who I feel I am,

so it's obviously short,
squat, rounded,

but also grounded, a bit worn,
but not worn out.

Certainly not worn out, yeah.

To illustrate her positive
yet protective nature,

Anna's self-sculpture
will have an arm
across the body,

and an open head
to let in the light

and take in the world.

She intends to form
each of her parts separately.

So how are you joining
all of these elements on?

They're gonna be hollowed out,
and then it's gonna be
slipping and scoring.

How are you feeling about
these smooth, refined surfaces?

Because we've seen
your style coming through.

It's got a lot of energy
in the build.

This is about poise
and refinement.

It is, isn't it? Well,
we'll see how that turns out.

The more parts
the sculpture is in,

the more potential there is
for things to go wrong.

I hope that it fits.

And Anna isn't the only potter

creating more work
for themselves.

I'm making one main body
and then attaching the legs,

and the arms, and the head.

I was trying to think
of when I'm happiest

and when I'm most,
like, content.

That's when I'm out,
like, exploring new places,

so it's based on rocks
that I found

when I was
out and about exploring.

It's kind of the concept

of becoming part
of the environment itself,

just sitting there and observing
what's going on around you.

As well as holes in the rocks
to represent change and growth,

AJ's self-sculpture will have

a hand around the knee
as a symbol of security,

and the other hand
touching the ground,

representing both
their connection to the earth,

and the pottery
they create from it.

You've been potter of the week
twice, haven't you?

- Yeah.
- I've got a file on all of you.

Do you feel more pressure
because of that?

Yeah, I think
there's, like, an expectation

of something spectacular, so...

Well, AJ, there is. No, really.

- We're at the quarterfinal now.
- Pressure's on.

A join is always
a weak spot.

The more joins you have,
the more likely it is to fail.

Joining clay is always a worry.

I'm trying
to be extra careful

when I'm sticking
things together,

so that it doesn't fall apart
in the firing.

But the alternative firing
brings added problems.

'Cause my piece isn't one big
piece, and it's lots of bits,

if the fire's really hot
in one place,

and it hasn't reached another
place, the pot can split.

So Lucinda will be hoping
the joins on her sculpture

fire as smoothly
as the inspiration behind it.

This is really
about me appreciating

where I've got to in my life.

I've always had a strong faith,

whether I've been
kind of going to church,

or now I practice Buddhism,

and it's put me
in a very calm place.

Alongside a meditative
kneeling position

and lotus flower hair bun
to represent Buddhism,

the more realistic
thighs and hips

of Lucinda's self-sculpture

intend to honor the beauty

of a mature mother of three.

So, yeah, I'm just
trying to get the body together.

I don't want great big busts.

It wouldn't be right to have

great big pert breasts
at my age.

God, this is very personal,
isn't it?

But they're getting smaller.

I don't want to draw attention
to anything there.

- Oh, Anna, look at you.
- Check me out, my cleanness.

Slightly worrying.
Are you feeling all right?

Anna, have you been putting
your stuff over here?

Has she been messing up
your table?

Yeah, she's been throwing clay
at me all day.

You're a wicked, wicked liar.

I thought you were
a friendly group.

Oh!

This isn't for the clay.

I can't seem to roll...
roll coils today.

Rather than joining
sections together,

Christine is approaching
her build in a different way.

It's quite a fluid shape,

so I didn't want to have to,

you know, make little pieces,
join them on.

I didn't think
I'd get that fluidity.

So I've gone for one piece.

But constructing in one piece
comes with its own risks.

If the clay thickness
isn't consistent,

it will dry unevenly and crack.

And if it's too heavy,
it risks slumping

and collapsing in on itself.

It's a tricky build,
but I'm gaining confidence

with every new challenge
that I'm being given.

And it's a challenge in her
past that Christine is using

as inspiration
for her self-sculpture.

I'm going back 25 years.

I was young.
I got breast cancer.

I just had to, like,
get on with it, you know.

My boys were very young,

so I didn't want them
to know about it either,

so it was something
that I kept inside.

Now, 25 years on,
I feel stronger now,

and I'm celebrating
the fact that I'm here.

Using the coiling method,

the hole
in Christine's self-sculpture

will represent
a missing breast,

and it will feature
carved and imprinted words

addressed to her younger self.

She's missing a breast,

and where that's missing,
I've put "strength."

And then down the side,
I want to put,

"Never be ashamed of a scar.
It shows a battle won."

So, for you, is this challenge
quite cathartic, then?

Yeah, yeah, I couldn't have
done it any other age, I think,

and in any other environment
than this.

- Right, yeah, yeah.
- Wow.

And what a great thing
to be able to do,

to retrospectively look back

and speak to
your 32-year-old self, you know.

Tell her
she's gonna get through it,

and celebrate the fact
that she got through it.

Well, we feel honored that
you've brought this story to us.

- Absolutely.
- Good luck with it.

It sounds really special.

Also drawing
from her own experiences,

Jenny is aiming to use
layers of clay

to illustrate the different
layers of her identity.

So my sculpture
is kind of about the fact

that when you become a mother,

everything is always
about the kids first.

A lot of the people who
I spend a lot of time with now

know me as being a mum,

and you kind of lose
your identity a little bit.

So, on the reverse,
there is going to be a hint

of, you know, other things
that make me.

There is something
about parenthood

that fundamentally changes you,

because there's that sense
of care, that duty of care,

that responsibility for someone

and something
other than yourself.

Sounds awful.

A thrown doughnut vase
and an owl

to illustrate
her love of pottery and nature

will be on the reverse side

of a loving mother
guarding her two children.

Along with the two sides
to her sculpture,

Jenny will also have two sides
to join together.

I'm going for a solid form,

which I am gonna then
hollow out.

Oh, right, OK.

I tried coiling, but
because it was tall and narrow,

it worked better when I built it
solid and hollowed it out.

OK, OK.

Obviously that makes
two big joins

that I'm gonna have to be
really careful with.

That's a nice arse,
isn't it?

It is a beautiful bottom,
not like mine.

This is "in my dreams" bottom.

- This is looking really great.
- She's very curvaceous.

You're doing it all
in one section.

I am, yes, yeah.

Nobody else, as far as I know,
is doing that.

I keep hearing that
every time I do something.

Sorry.
I won't bring it up again.

You're OK.
I'm getting used to it now.

I've chopped myself
in half,

so it's just about
hollowing it out now.

If I left it as a block
in the kiln,

any moisture
that was in the clay

would evaporate,
it would turn into a gas,

and obviously when a liquid
turns to a gas,

it expands, it gets bigger,

so it would be
in a million pieces.

While Jenny has sliced
her sculpture in two,

other potters require
more delicate engineering.

I'm creating the hole
in her chest,

so I've put, like, a tube
through here.

I am cutting a hole
in the back

to put the channel
through the pot,

which is really scary.

Don't watch me, Rich.

I've got the basic shape
that I wanted,

so it's just about
getting it all back together.

What I really don't want is for
it to come apart in the firing,

so if I can secure that join
that I made, that will help.

- Potters.
- Oh, my God.

No time to lose your head.
You are halfway through.

- Halfway through, potters.
- Ah, ah, ah.

The potters need
to get the forms
of their sculptures completed

to devote as much time
as possible to refining.

Everything is together
that needs to be together.

I've basically got
three hours of burnishing,

making it super smooth
and super shiny.

Jenny's burnishing already.
My God.

Burnishing is a way
of polishing the clay

without using a glaze.

It requires repeated rubbing
with a hard object,

which, over time,
compresses the clay

to create a shiny surface.

There is a lot
of burnishing to do.

Come to me
at the end of this session,

and I'll tell you whether
I still like burnishing or not.

The judges are looking
for a polished finish
after the firing,

so it's crucial the potters
achieve this smoothness

on their self-sculptures.

What do you have left to do?

I've got to put the arm on.

I've got some tidying up to do
around the back of this foot.

- Are you burnishing it?
- I'm not burnishing it.

I'm just getting it
as smooth as I can.

I know this is going to come
as a shock,

but I don't know
an awful lot about pottery,

Shh. Don't tell anyone.

Isn't smoothing
just sort of burnishing?

Yeah, kind of.

When I think burnishing,
I think, like, shiny.

- Right. Oh, I see. OK.
- Yeah.

So I'm going for super smooth
rather than shiny.

I was actually
wanting to focus more

on sort of getting
this area burnished,

and sort of highlights burnished
but not the entire body.

I am enjoying it. It is fun.

It's just nice to spend
a bit of time with a piece.

Looks like something
out of the Oscars at the moment.

Do you know what?
It does, actually, doesn't it?

- I hadn't noticed that before.
- No, but that's a good thing.

- So what are you up to now?
- I'm burnishing all afternoon.

And what are you using
to do that with?

I've got this pebble,
bag, the spoon.

Depends which sort of little bit
I'm trying to get in at.

Yeah, that's right,
'cause you really wanna

get into all those nooks
and crannies, don't you?

- Definitely.
- Well, look, good luck.

- Thank you.
- Happy... Happy smoothing.

Oh, my gosh. Well,
that's very beautiful, isn't it?

Thank you.

Do you look at this now and go,

there I am,
an abstract version of you?

I think it's more of
an aspirational version of me.

- A hopeful version.
- Yes.

Yeah, I like that word, yeah.

- Fantastic bum.

I'm happy
with the proportions.

She's a bit of a fat mama.

So cool.
Great arse. Great arse.

- It's really cool.
- Just wanna squeeze it.

- Lucinda.
- It's just gonna be time.

How long it'll take
to get that surface. Like AJ.

I'm just a bit concerned

that they're gonna
leave themselves

a lot of surfaces to clean up,

because there's a lot
of different facets there.

Gonna press the word strength
into the side of my lassie.

I'm hoping it's not too dry.

I must admit,
I do like Christine's.

But I'm a bit concerned,

because she's pressing in
some of the letters.

Once you've pushed it in there,
you've got that indentation.

If you make a mistake,
it's very hard to pull it back.

Definitely taxing
on the arms.

I can imagine I'm gonna have
cramp in my hand later.

Jenny is spending
the whole time burnishing.

That's all she doing. And I
think that's a pretty good idea.

And Anna seems to be
really, really enjoying it.

The only concern
I have with Anna

is can she give us that finish?

- That smooth surface.
- It's what we're looking for.

We need that to get
the best decorative results

from that sawdust firing.

I'm kind of using my hands

to get it to a smooth finish
and to burnish it,

because I can kind of feel
what I'm doing better.

You've gotta get your hands
dirty, you know, you really do.

I think it makes
all the difference.

Potters,
that's ten minutes remaining.

Did you see me do that?

Don't look so shocked,
Christine.

Time flies.

Help! Help! More time.

I'm writing my sentence
on the side of my sculpture.

I'm just tracing it, so that
I've got a straight line.

I'm just trying to get it
nice and smooth now.

Oh, lovely. That's very
satisfying to do, isn't it?

It's like ironing.

- No. Not the way I iron.
- No?

Not at all satisfying
or satisfactory.

I'm just sort of going around
and trying to find places

that I've missed.

Oh, that feels good.

That's really nice there now.

The rim,
it was a bit too dry,

so it's rougher
than I would have liked it.

But it certainly
wouldn't reflect me very much

if it was
perfectly neat and tidy.

- Oh, squeaky, squeaky.

Is that your piece
that's squeaking?

Oh, my God.
How did you get it that squeaky?

Because I've been burnishing
for three hours.

That's fair enough.

Potters, you are coming up
to one minute left

to get anything
into the drying room.

No.

- Mammy's going in.
- Yes.

Lovely. Christine is heading in,
thank you very much.

One in, one out. Rose gets
very confused otherwise.

In you go, in you go.
Looking marvelous, Anna.

It is a bit on the heavy side,
'cause it's, like, massive.

Lucinda, are we nearly ready
to bring her in?

- Yeah.
- AJ? How we doing?

- Fine.
- Looking great, Lucinda.

Come on, AJ.
I don't want to rush you.

It's not like
there's a rush.

Oh, my God,
they're all so different.

You guys are all so different.

Would it help if I shouted, AJ?

Don't startle me as I'm walking.

I wouldn't do that.

And the drying room door
is closed.

Well done.

Well done. You did brilliantly.

- Now, go away.

Potters, dismissed.

- Oops.
- Do you want a hand?

- Do you need a hand, Anna?

- Do you want me to grab that?
- Thank you.

I loved the lettering.

I did wonder
if I was making a mistake,

but as I was pushing
the word "strength" into it,

I absolutely loved it.

I'm proud of what I've done,

and it does feel like
a piece of me.

It's gonna be bisque fired.

Obviously there are
the usual concerns

about cracks in the kiln
and things like that.

It shouldn't do,
but in that kiln,

you never know for certain.

I enjoyed that,

but we have
a second challenge coming up.

They get more and more difficult
every time.

I suppose they're not gonna
get any easier, are they?

It's the quarterfinal,

and the potters are back
for the second challenge.

And, as usual,
they have no idea

what's hiding
under the hessian.

Welcome back, potters.

The second challenge this week
is a throw down.

The judges
would like you to make

as many candlesticks as you can

within the allocated time period
off the hump.

- Oh.
- Keith?

OK.

So we've given you six kilos of
clay, which is more than enough.

Centering a big lump of clay,
just bring it up.

Kind of lock this arm,

and then I push with this hand

onto my right hand.

Think about that top section
that you're gonna use

to make that candlestick with.

So I'm now just gonna make

the little cup
that goes on the top.

That's the most delicate part of
the make. Just a simple action.

Press down,
come up with your left hand

over the top of your finger.

We wanna see a nice
sort of generous well in there

to be able to put
that candlestick into.

Now I'm just squeezing that clay
to start making my candlestick.

It's all about being delicate,
but using that pressure

to be able to get the accent in
on that stem.

Just bite that clay
with your hand as you go down.

- And also not panicking.

So now I'm gonna use
my plastic card,

just gently holding the stem,
going in, and lifting off.

Wow.

And they wanna be identical.

Thank you very much, Keith.

Potters, back to your benches.

You have...

- 15 minutes...
- No.

...to make as many identical
candlesticks as possible,

off the hump,
and your time starts now.

15 minutes.

In order to successfully throw
off the hump,

the clay must be
properly centered.

The potters will then throw
each individual candlestick

off the same piece of clay.

No hanging about.

Just be really aware
of that consistency of the clay.

Tricky challenge. I've never
thrown off the hump before.

Come to that, I've never made
a candlestick before either,

so it's kind of a whole pile
of "never dones before."

Centering
such a big lump of clay,

but it's also then throwing
a really tall, thin structure.

Just try and remember
the hand positions

so you can repeat it.

It's hard
to get muscle memory

on a thing
that you've never made before...

in 15 minutes.

Christine's looks
beautifully centered.

Really centered. Jenny's got a
bit of a ripple going on there.

It's not gonna
help her out at all.

I think I'm gonna get
one identical one.

Anna's cracking on. She's got
a good bowl on there already.

Nice gradual pressure
when you're making that stem.

Oh, God. It's really hard.

Potters, that's
five minutes gone already,

so you've only ten minutes left.

- Jenny, how many have you made?
- Oh, I've made ten.

Ten? Oh, brilliant.
Are they all invisible?

They are,
which makes them identical.

- Oh.

Anna's got one off.

- Oh, dear.
- Anna's got one off.

- It's a technical term.

- Oh.
- Oh, my God, I've done it.

- Well done, Lucinda.
- Confidence. I like it.

I've just gotta do
another one the same.

- AJ's is looking good.
- Yeah, not looking too bad.

- That nearly ready to come off?
- It is.

What's the hardest thing
about this?

Is it me roaring at you
while you're trying to do it?

- That's part of it.

Ooh, Jenny,
take control of that wobble.

I think I need to just
get it off and start again.

I think you're right.

Looking good, Christine.
Now get it off.

- Well done.
- Right, now to do another one.

- Nice.
- Well done. That's one.

AJ's second one's
looking similar.

Oh, my God.
What the hell have I done there?

Anna's really looking at
her profile of the other one,

to see if she can get it
the same.

See, they're too big.

- Control that wobble, Jenny.
- Oh!

I haven't got a long time,
and I don't think the judges

are gonna be very impressed
with two.

Oh, God.

Potters, you have
five minutes left.

- Wha...?
- Come on, Anna.

- How many have you done?
- Two.

- Oh, you've got two?
- Oh.

- Ooh.
- Focus.

- It's not coming off.
- Keep them coming.

Nice, Lucinda.
Is that your fourth one?

Yes. But they're all
a bit different.

Don't worry.
We'll be the judge of that.

- OK.
- Looking good, AJ.

- Yeah.
- Very nice.

- Ah, come on.
- Potters, guess what?

- One minute remaining.
- OK.

- Hurry up.

Less than a minute
left, guys. Come on.

Quality and quantity.

I think I'm doing
a lot of, um, "unquality."

What about you, Jenny?

Lots of "unquality."

Has anybody got
some quantity going on?

Because we've only 20 seconds.

Wha...? Wha...?

Think about what is
the best use of your time.

Ten seconds.
Ten seconds left, potters.

- Christine?
- Yeah.

Come on, guys.
Get the last ones off.

- Come on, potters.
- Come on, Jenny.

Less than ten seconds left,
Jenny.

- Use every minute.
- Look at that! Fantastic!

Get it off, get it off!
Quickly, quickly!

Yes! That's the end of it.

Potters, put your candlesticks
down, step away from the wheel,

and let's all have
a collective lie-down.

It's actually not much worse
than the others, is it?

Well, there you go.

Keith and Rich
are looking for candlesticks

that are consistent in
their size, shape, and height.

Any that don't measure up
will be recycled

into the bucket of doom.

- Hi, Anna.
- Hello.

Shall I just pass them all over
to the bucket?

You shouldn't be too harsh on
yourself. How did you find it?

Really difficult. I've never
thrown off the hump before.

In my head, it's a big lump
of clay, you make something big.

That's it, yeah. You're only
working on that top section.

It would have been nice
to have seen these

slightly more delicate
sort of accents there.

I mean, this one here,
this looks more like a bludgeon

than a candlestick.

- Maybe it was.

Now, that's going in, yeah.

- Whoa. That made a thud.
- Wow. That made a thud, yeah.

Half the lump of clay's
in there.

Do you want a hand
carrying the bucket?

So, yeah, three
almost perfectly formed
candlesticks. Not too bad.

Little bit less in the middle,
and a bit more at the base.

And less in my bucket
that I can't lift up now.

- Hi, Jenny.
- Hi.

Look, I mean, it's got energy.
It's got energy about it.

It's certainly got
a lot of energy, yeah.

Well, that's gotta go in,
but it's the funniest.

- Fare thee well.
- It was ten seconds.

- Ten seconds.
- I know. That's great.

Bit of pressure. Never mind.

I tried
to get going too soon, I think,

and I think that probably
was the issue with number one.

On this one, you can see
that the base and the cup

are kind of over here, and
the bobbles are over this side.

- I think it's a good look.
- I don't, actually, no.

Ooh!

It's certainly not identical.

So you've got four left
out of the six.

Well, five and a half. And
I don't think they're too bad.

Just tidier bottoms
would have been nice.

- They're a lovely consistency.
- Yeah.

- But that one's no good.
- Yeah.

Oh, you break my heart
every time you do that.

They're all fairly straight.

You can tell that you've gone

for a particular shape
and a particular stem.

And you've got the two bobbles
in the same place.

Yeah, lovely set
of candlesticks, AJ.

- Thank you.
- Yeah, well done.

Is this something
that you've done before,

like throw off the hump?

I've done egg cups,

but I haven't done anything
much bigger than that.

Which one was your first one,
do you think?

- Yeah, I really...
- That was...? Yeah.

'Cause that's... useless.

- Ooh.
- Thanks.

There's another odd one out,
isn't there, really?

The cup on one of them
looks slightly different.

Oh, go on, then. Just do it.

Yeah, that one's no good.

Not a bad go. Yeah, excellent.

Thank you. Thank you.

Hi, Christine. How you doing?

Looking at the bucket.

Well, I mean,
looking at these three here,

there looks like a certain
amount of control there.

They all match. You look
at the rims, they're matching.

The width of the base
is very similar.

How did you find
getting them off the hump?

I got it all right, and then the
card slipped out of my hands,

and then it got stuck
underneath, and, yeah.

What happened
with this thing here?

That was just me
trying to get another one.

- That's sort of...
- Bye, bye.

...going in, yeah.
Goodbye to that one.

- But they look great.
- Yeah, well done, Christine.

- Not bad.
- Thanks.

The judges will now rank the
potters from worst to first.

So, in fifth position is...

Anna. Lovely effort,
really, really nice.

Just could have done with them
looking slightly lighter,

a little bit more finesse,

and those bottoms sort of
tidied up a bit more, OK?

Fourth is Lucinda,
and Christine is third.

In second place is...

- Jenny. Well done, Jenny.
- Thank you.

Lovely height.
Nice purposeful definition.

Slightly nicer on the bases.

- But a really good effort.
- Thank you.

And so that leaves,
in first place, AJ.

Lovely and delicate cups on
the top there, nice definition,

fairly nicely cleaned off
at the bottom,

but a really nice,
even, consistent try.

- Well done.
- Thank you.

That's my fourth
second challenge win in a row,

which is insane.

Oh, that did not go so well.

I struggled with it. Last place
in the second challenge.

There's not too much
between anybody at this stage,

so that could be just
a deciding factor in going home.

The potters' self-sculptures
have been bisque fired,

and it's time for decoration
and kiln construction.

We're setting things on fire and
building our own kilns today,

so I'm really excited
about that.

The first thing
we're gonna be doing

is preparing them for the firing

by putting our things on
that might flash some color.

It's quite exciting
'cause you don't know
how it's gonna turn out.

I brought
so many things in.

I'm literally
throwing the works at it.

Potters, your self-sculptures
have been bisque fired

and are now poised in front
of you, ready for the fun part.

You will be decorating,

and then building the brick kiln
with your own fair hands.

Really think about how
you're gonna combine the oxides

and use your combustible
materials to maximum effect

to really enhance
the body of your sculpture

during this alternative
firing process.

So, basically,
the opposite of less is more.

- More is more.
- Always.

Don't forget to be inventive
with your decoration.

You've got the freedom to
experiment, so don't hold back.

You have 30 minutes,

and your time starts... now.

Ooh.

Ooh, isn't she lovely?

I do have a couple
of tiny cracks. It'll be OK.

It looks pretty good.
I've got a stress crack.

You know, hopefully the next
firing won't open it any more.

It's in one piece. It's kind of
the shape I wanted it.

I've got some big cracks.

I've got a huge crack
down there,

which is obviously
where I cut it in half.

That's disappointing.

But, you know,
I've gotta make the best of it,

so that's what I'm gonna do.

I'm gonna still follow my plan
for decorating it.

I'm adding some copper carbonate
to the word "strength,"

just to highlight that
when it comes out of the firing.

I don't know if this is gonna
make any difference

or if it'll burn off.

The fire is going to
determine everything.

I'm really excited now, having
fun, and this seaweed stinks.

The potters are hoping
that the combination

of oxides and combustibles...

I've just put steel wool
all round it.

Hopefully that should give

some nice sort of pinky
kind of colors.

...will bring unique decoration
to their self-sculptures

during the sawdust firing.

So, look at her. Are you pleased
with how she's come out?

Yeah, she's come out quite well.
She has got a crack.

Don't we all?

The seaweed was a gift
from Tom before he left,

but Tom also got this seaweed

from the beach
that Nick does his surfing on.

So I've kind of got Nick and Tom
with me here today,

so I'm hoping they'll bring me
some luck as well.

Ten minutes left, potters.

Keep throwing stuff at it.

Hopefully something will stick.

Hopefully I won't slip
on any banana skins.

Banana skins add potassium,

which can give you
another color effect.

So I've just... when they were
there, I thought let's try them.

I'm gonna stick
loads of bandages on it now.

Uh, off I go.

I've got leaves in there,

there's seaweed, wire wool,

and now I'm just going to drip
some sugar in.

I'm hoping that the wire wool
will catch some of the sugar.

- You haven't gone subtle.
- I haven't.

I've decided against the subtle.

It looks terrifying,
but it looks amazing.

- That's me after a night out.

Oh, doesn't she look lovely
just like this?

She looks so cozy.

This looks insane.

It looks like I've just pulled
it out of the bin.

One minute left to put
more rubbish on your things.

Where does one stop
with this sort of thing?

I've started putting
this orange peel on,

and it absolutely stinks.

It's really gross.

So I've wrapped it in paper,
so it's almost like a parcel,

and the idea is
that that's breathable,

so oxygen can get
to all of the combustibles.

Who knows what will happen?
It's all exciting, isn't it?

Look at Anna's. It's like
some kind of sea monster.

It's just
a really exciting process.

I'm clueless as to how
it's gonna turn out, but, hey,

that's half of the fun.

And that's it!

No time to wait,
we are going straight out now,

where you're going to build
your own kiln

and fire up
these little beauties.

Yeah. Ooh, careful.

Potters, you have
your decorated self-sculptures

all ready to get toasty

in the sawdust firing
with your combustibles.

Well, this is
an above-ground firing process,

and you're building
your very own brick kiln.

When built, you'll pack
your kiln with sawdust

and your chosen combustibles,

and after lighting, you'll be
looking to achieve a temperature

of around 900 to 1,000 degrees

to really maximize
that 24-hour firing process.

Now, this is the first time
we've asked you

to ever prepare and build
your own brick kiln.

You've gotta lay enough bricks

to equal the width and the
height of your self-sculptures.

You have two hours.

We have master potter Kevin here

to help you to fire
safely and successfully.

Your time starts... now.

Bit of exercise, isn't it?

Just starting building the base,

and then I'm gonna put an extra
three bricks on this side,

just to make it
a little bigger.

I'm not worried
too much about there being
any small gaps,

because that will let
some air in.

I've got no experience
bricklaying at all.

Other than LEGO.
Does that count?

- I'm loving this.

- Anna, how's it going?
- It's going good.

Do you think you've found
your calling as a bricklayer?

- I think I might have.

I'm gonna put some sawdust
in it now.

I've measured my lady
so that she fits in there.

Her hips are gonna be
slightly wide,

but I've always found that
in life.

Chairs are never
quite big enough.

This just looks fun.

Right... There you go.

I'm putting salt in it.

Salt kind of works
at a lower temperature,

and it can give us
a slightly shiny glaze effect.

Put a little bit of coffee
down there as well.

If there's any extra,
could you send me up a cup?

Any time.

- AJ.
- Hello.

- Are you seasoning?
- Sugar and spice.

I've no idea what I'm doing,

so I'm just chucking
a load of stuff on it

and having a fun time.

And what's more fun than just
setting fire to it afterwards?

- Oh, nothing.

What have you used
as your combustibles on there?

- I've got lamb bones, walnuts.
- OK, right.

Lavender, sage. I've basically
used anything and everything.

It's like building a campfire.

Hello! You caught me
just in the last bits

of putting this together.

Great. What have you got
going on?

So we've got layers
of sawdust, and I've also,

in between the layers,
got some rotten wood.

Just got the last few bits
to layer up.

And then we can get
the flamethrower.

Get the fire started.

It does seem
we are the fire starters.

Nobody else went
to the extremes we did.

- I blame you.

I just like building big fires.

OK, here we go.

Come on, baby.
Burn, baby, burn.

This is definitely the best bit,
yeah, fire lighting.

- I love it.

We've got fire, don't we?
We've got fire.

It's quite exciting, actually.

I'm still excited to see
what it's gonna come out like.

It does feel a bit weird
to be burning,

like, an effigy of myself.

With the potters'
sawdust firings alight,

they need to wait
for the naked flame to die down

before they can close up
their kilns.

Let the magic happen.

Christine,
how are you doing here?

My fire seems very small quite
quickly, so I'm a bit worried.

Well, it's not got to do
with the size of the fire,

it's the heat of it.

It's not the size that matters.

We're not interested in size
here in the pottery.

Lucinda, how's yours doing?

It's getting down
to embers now.

I'm down to the ashes,
really.

I think it's about ready.

I'm gonna put the lid on.

I think that's all right.

Yeah, I'm happy with that.

OK, good.

My job is done.

The fire should be out,
hopefully, um,

and there should be a pot
with some effects in there.

But I guess we'll wait and see
what happens. Fingers crossed.

Well done, potters. Now, this is
going to be quite a long burn.

So why don't you have a break?

Otherwise we're just looking
at a couple of bricks.

Go on. You deserve it.

Kiln built, fire started,

and left for the next 24 hours.

That was great fun.

So great to be
with the elements,

outside, bit of breeze,
bit of fire.

It's exciting. But don't know
what's gonna happen next.

At a scale
of naught to ten

for how worried I am
about the cracks, yeah, ten.

Very worried. Best case scenario
is it comes out in one piece.

We'll see.

After 24 hours, it's time
for the potters to discover

how their self-sculptures have
fared in their self-made kilns.

Let me in the kiln. Let me in.

I've got no sort of expectations
of what it's gonna look like,

so I'm just really excited
to see what it is.

I hope there's
some color on it, you know.

First thing I thought about was
how she's done?

Morning, potters.

Now you know how I feel

when I'm opening up your kilns.

All right, if you're all ready,

go take a look
on how it's fired.

I'm going in.

Ooh.

Hello, my dear.
She's coming out.

Peepo!

Ooh!

I've got pink!

Oh, fantastic.

Oh, that was a banana skin.

Look. Yellow! I've got yellow!

Yes! Ah-ha!

Let's do this.

Still standing.

Looks like the Ghost
of Christmas Past right now.

- Oh, I see color.
- Ooh, yes.

I'm really pleased
with that purple. So cool!

I'm loving this fire. I want
to do this again. Can we?

Ooh.
Well, there's a pot in there.

Oh, I just got salt in my mouth.

Oh, look at all those colors
on the back.

- That's amazing.
- Ooh, it's like an oil spill.

- That's so cool.
- It's in one piece.

Oh, and I can see color.
Oh, my gosh!

I can see proper color. Oh, wow.

It's cracked,
but it's beautiful.

I feel quite emotional.
It's quite bizarre.

'Cause she's me.

There she is.

Come on, babe.

- Oh, wow.
- Oh, my gosh.

I think she's beautiful.

Just... Yeah, I just love it.

That line going down here
is just stunning.

"Strength" looks amazing.

It just feels like a journey
is like completing.

It's quite strange.

Oh, it's so beautiful.

- Oh, Christine.

I...

That is the most
beautiful thing.

- It's gorgeous.
- It is just so gorgeous.

Of course you're crying.
You'd be a stone not to.

It's amazing.

Thanks, girls.
You're amazing.

- Can I slap her bottom?
- Yeah.

Five abstract self-sculptures
ready for judging.

Hello, potters.

You're all looking
absolutely wonderful,

as are your abstract
self-sculptures.

Anna, can we start
with you, please?

Tell us about your sculpture.

I wanted my sculpture
to reflect me physically,

and who I also feel that I am,

so I wanted it to feel like
it was grounded

and it belongs
in a wild part of a garden.

But I also wanted it
to feel as though

it was comfortable
in its own skin.

I think you've achieved that
beautifully.

Thank you.

The proportions

of each kind of appendage,

you can tell
that these are the arms,

and you can tell
that that's the legs,

and I just love the way

that you've represented
your headspace.

The surface that you've
created with the combustibles

is incredible, it's so complex,
there's so much going on.

There's the odd scruffy
little bit in the corner,

which I can imagine is difficult
to get a tool into.

But, you know, it's a really
well-thought-out design.

And it just speaks of you.
It's wonderful, Anna.

- Yeah, it's really lovely.
- Thank you so much.

So my sculpture was about
when you become a mother,

your priorities totally change,

and everything is about your
children before anything else.

But your other identity
is still there,

so the other side
of the sculpture

is about the things
that I love to do.

Well, the first thing
I notice when you pick it up,

the surface is just lovely.

It's like a pebble that
you've sort of got from the sea.

Yeah, as you turn it, I can see
the shine on the surface.

You can tell you've really
gone to town on it.

The making process perhaps
hasn't worked in your favor.

You can very clearly see
the join right the way down.

It's such a shame
that seam line has opened up.

Obviously
it's a build error, slightly,

but the colors, again,
that you've got on this

are just absolutely brilliant.

- What was this?
- That was the copper wire.

Copper wire.
It's just beautiful, you know?

Those kind of slash marks,
you know, the scars of life.

You know, there's so many things

that are so in keeping
with your overall theme.

It is quite simple
in its form,

but, I mean, that's what
you were intending to go for.

Well, you should be
really proud of yourself.

Thank you.

The first thing I notice is it's
incredibly well constructed.

It's of a definite style.

It's kind of almost like
a brutalist sculpture.

These square legs,
you've stylized them

in such a way that it's really
representative of what they are.

There's such volume,

and yet it feels
so sort of rooted to the ground.

And the other thing that really
sticks out for me is this head.

It's just wonderful.

You can tell that it's you,
and I love it.

The surface is just out
of this world. I mean, blimey.

I don't know what you put
in that kiln, but it's...

- Everything.
- Everything.

Yeah, I think
what you've chosen to put where

has worked perfectly
in your favor.

It's abstract,
and yet very human.

And very, very you.
It just works so well.

Absolutely wonderful, AJ.

- Fantastic.
- Thanks very much.

Well, I mean, honestly,

I think I speak for Rich
when I say this,

'cause it's
absolutely wonderful.

- Definitely.
- It's an incredible structure.

The surface
is beautifully finished.

It's so tactile.
Right into all of the crevices.

And it was
very brave to do this,

because you never know
with this kind of firing process

whether you're gonna get

that kind of decorative
technique to come out.

It's really worked for you.

It's funny because looking at it
from the side,

you very much get that
kind of kneeled-down posture,

but I don't know
whether you necessarily

get that from the front here.

I mean, my favorite bit,
actually, is the...

- No, wait for it.

Just this backbone leading down
into this sort of crevice,

and then this lovely
voluptuous bottom.

It's just lovely.
Well done, Lucinda.

- Thank you.
- Well done, Lucinda, yeah.

It's... It's fantastic.

- Thank you.
- It's wonderful.

I mean, it's wonderful.

I'm afraid I'm coming round
for one too.

I just think it's so wonderful.

So wonderful.

Honestly, it's the best thing
you've bloody made, anyway.

- Ever, probably.
- Yeah.

Just talk us through what
the whole story behind this is.

It's a representation of me
at the age of 32,

and I'm trying to connect
with her and tell her

that she's stronger
than she realizes,

and that she's not to be ashamed
of how her body looks,

even though she's, like,
battle-scarred from cancer.

And it's just me saying,
"Be strong."

It's interesting, isn't it?

Because it's one of
the simplest forms here,

but it's so, so powerful.

I think the fact
that you've put the arms

over the top of the head

to sort of reveal the breast
that's missing,

I just think
it's incredibly powerful,

it's incredibly brave,

and I think it's...
it's incredibly poignant.

It says everything
in volumes that you want to say.

And it is brave,
but so positive.

And I think that's the thing
that comes through.

It feels like the phoenix
from the ashes.

Yeah, it feels very triumphant.

"Never be ashamed of
a scar. It shows a battle won."

That says it all.
That says it all.

It's almost like
you've been thinking about this

since you were 32,

and someone's just given you
the opportunity...

to come up with it.

It's brilliant. It's...
It's absolutely wonderful.

We couldn't have asked for more.
We couldn't.

Literally couldn't have
asked for more.

Well done, lovey. Well done.

I had a talk with myself
before judging and thought,

"Right, just be strong
and don't cry."

And then you walk up
and Keith's already crying,

and how can you not?

And I'm immensely proud of her.

There was a lot
of emotion in the room today.

We had to put ourselves into it,
and in getting the sculpture,

that kind of got me,
if you know what I mean.

That, to me, it's a big thing.

The colors
achieved in that firing

were everything that
I'd hoped for, and more, really.

But I'm the only person
who had a build error,

and one tiny mistake
could be the difference

between staying and leaving.

So here we are. The old g*ng
back together again.

- The quarterfinal.
- Sorry, what's your name again?

Who do you think
is shining so far?

Well, for me, Christine.

Just the whole story,

the way she emulated that
through the sculpture,

and the sculpture itself
was so aesthetically pleasing.

It was incredible.

So the second challenge
this week,

yet again, AJ won.

Do you think they're in the
running for potter of the week?

I think they have to be.

What was astonishing
from AJ's piece

was their level
of introspection,

and the overall composition,
the proportions.

Everything about it
just felt right.

Who do you think
is in danger this week?

Well, Jenny.

The quality
of the overall build,

a few cracks opening up.

It just perhaps lacked
some of the ambition

in terms of the overall form,
the height, the width.

- It was very sort of linear.
- Lucinda.

You enjoyed caressing
Lucinda's sculpture.

Well, you know, it's like
game of two halves with Lucinda.

I love it, but, you know,

whether there's something
disjointed about it...

I like it in profile
from the side

perhaps more
than from the front.

And we do have to consider

that she came fourth
in the second challenge.

I mean, it's so hard this week.

Anna's sculpture, again,

it's not the kind of thing
that she would ever do.

But she gave us such an amazing
sculpture of herself.

Maybe her surface
wasn't quite as finished off

as it could possibly have been.

But we're splitting hairs here,
really.

So is it getting
any clearer to you

who will be potter of the week,

and who unfortunately
will be leaving us?

I still reckon you should have
another cup of hot chocolate.

Ai, ai, ai.

Potters, what a week it's been.

The judges have made
their decision.

It hasn't been an easy decision.

The potter of the week goes
to work that they described

as being triumphant,
powerful, and brave.

This week's
potter of the week...

is Christine.

Congratulations, Christine.

- Thank you.

- Thank you.
- Absolutely.

Thank you.

OK, now the bad bit,
um, which I don't enjoy doing.

The person who is leaving
the pottery this week is...

- Jenny.
- Yeah.

- I'm so sorry, Jenny.
- Oh, Jenny.

- Jenny, Jenny.
- It's all right.

Aw.

I want to say thank you.
It's been an absolute dream.

You guys have all believed in me
more than I believed in myself,

and I am leaving with,
you know, a newfound confidence,

so thank you so much.

Thank you. That's beautiful.

Well, Jenny,
you've just been amazing.

You've been...
You are an amazing potter.

Apart from maybe candlesticks,

which is probably
the funniest thing

I've ever seen made in pottery.

You've been
absolutely wonderful.

It was just so hard to decide
who was gonna go this week.

It's been such
an incredibly powerful week.

You have been so honest and open
and brave with your decisions

and making your self-sculptures

that it's been, really,
an inspiration.

- Hasn't it, Rich?
- Absolutely.

We just hugely appreciate

everything you've done
this week.

To wear your hearts on your
sleeves and give us everything,

you know, and literally
throw them into the fire,

we can't thank you enough.

I leave with my head held high.
It's the quarterfinals.

But you don't want a journey
like this to ever end.

- Wonderful.
- Thank you.

Yeah, just believe in yourself.

Just taking part in this
is a massive thing for me.

You know,
being away from my family.

It's the first time
that I've done that

since I've had the children,

done something just for me.

I do feel like I've made
massive strides in my pottery.

And I do think
I've made friendships

that will last me a lifetime.

It's been wonderful.

As Jenny heads for the exit,
Christine's self-sculpture

becomes her first entry
into the Throw Down gallery.

I'm just so happy
for Christine.

She could have won any single
episode of any single series

with that particular sculpture.

It was amazing.

Yah! I've finally done it.

I'm proud
that I put myself out there,

I'm proud
that I laid myself bare,

and I'm proud of what I made.

And that piece has got me
into the semifinals.

I actually can't believe it.

- Next time...
- Ooh.

...it's bathroom week.

Making urinals
in the semifinal.

Where our remaining potters...

I can't believe it.
There's just four of us in here.

...tackle their biggest
challenge yet...

So much clay. Ridiculously big.

...and face
a special guest judge.

Even if you're not into pottery,
you know Wedgwood.

Who will make the final three?

- I think it's great.
- It is super, super cool.

And who will crack
under the pressure?

If it had been week one, I might
have been in tears by now.