Kneading Dreams: Material Imagination and Agency in Performative Clay Works

In the writings of Gaston Bachelard, clay or paste (la pâte) is seen as a basic component of materiality, which enables the material imagination—a dream-like state of mind which emerges in the intimate encounter between human and material. This focus on material qualities and powers resonates with New Materialism, which attends to ways in which matter has agency, affecting humans within entanglements. Following the philosophy of Bachelard and the theories of different new materialists, this paper will examine some of the different qualities and powers embedded in wet clay, presented in two performative works; “Under Ground” (2016) by Alexandra Engelfriet and “Earth is Singing” (2020) by Sophie Louise Pedersen. By centering the sense of touch, which is vital in both new materialist theory and Bachelard’s understanding of paste, we will analyze how the specific material qualities and imaginations inherent in clay are revealed in the selected artworks.