Mill firing occured over a week long exhibition/event called Bloodstream in September 2000. Bloodstream was a visual art exhibition at the Islington Mill in Salford. Its aim was to promote the transformation of areas of the mill into new artists studios and a design shop. The event linked in with a broader series of cultural events in Salford called the 'Chapel Street Open', (which included exhibitions, musical events, and open studio shows) attracting public awareness of Salford as a growing and inspiring cultural sector of Greater Manchester. Bloodstream was funded by Salford City Council.

I and nine other artists using a variety of media had been invited to create site-specific artworks within the Islington Mill i.e. work that related to the space and its history. In one of the outhouses of the mill I operated a project that spanned the seven days of Bloodstream.

I conducted Mill Firing on minimal funds that covered the cost of materials only. This project involved the building and firing with wood of a scuptural kiln in the form of a miniature version of the whole mill as it had looked when first built. The miniature version of the mill being fired would present in a more physicaly comprehensible form and time-span the process of history passing through and affecting the nature of a space. With the help of some knowledgable friends I got the kiln up to peak temperature for the exhibitions closing party forming a fantastic visual spectacle to an audience including many who had never seen a wood firing before.

The Technique
I built a brick firebox 5ft by 2ft lined with kiln blanket. The firebox was covered by kiln shelves aprt from the far end. A double-walled lattice clay structure was built on top 10cm at a time. An extra inner wall was built opposite the hole at the far end of the firebox to ensure the downdraft effect of the heat. A chimney was also constructed with its entrance at the base of the kiln on the other side of this wall. The clay used was grogged terracotta mixed with extra grog and sawdust. Lower layers dried slowly to support greater height. Arches were employed in the roof space and then when sufficiently dry the flat roof was built above them. The whole structure was speed dried using small fires, then wrapped in Kiln Blanket and fired over two days up to 1100 degrees Centigrade using cut-offs from a kindly neighbouring carpenter.