Format: Documentary Photography | Portfolio Category: Interdisciplinary Methodology & Field Research

Keywords: Urban Observational Research, Cross-disciplinary Mapping, Material Inspiration

Abstract: This project documents a critical shift in research methodology necessitated by the loss of studio access during the 2020 global pandemic. Utilizing the DSLR camera as a tool for "urban field research," the work captures NYC's unprecedented vacancy infrastructure. The inquiry focuses on the relationship between urban "voids" and the subsequent development of ceramic forms. This phase of research argues that the lens serves as a precursor to the kiln; the photographic "editing" process: focusing on light, shadow, and architectural line, directly informs the parametric logic and surface treatments of later ceramic outputs.

By documenting Tribeca and Crown Heights and the micro-landscapes of my backyard, the research establishes a framework for "Observational Materiality." It posits that a multidisciplinary approach, bridging photography and ceramics, allows for a more comprehensive mapping of cultural and environmental reality, transforming forced isolation into a generative period of "conceptual gathering."