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Introduction 

When artists speak about their own work, they mostly focus on techniques, ideas or materials. However, another important influence is often present during the act of making: the emotional state of the artist. 

Making art is rarely neutral. Artists bring their own experiences, emotions and memories into the studio with them. These feelings affect how materials are handled and how outcomes develop. 

This article explores how emotional states influence both the process of making and how outcomes are perceived through material and surface. It is important to note that the ideas discussed in this article are based on my own interpretation of the artworks. The emotional states described are not presented as definite facts about what the artists were feeling at the time of making. Instead, they are observations based on gestures, materials, and surfaces visible in the artworks. 

By analysing the artworks of Clare Twomey, Tracey Emin, Peter Voulkos and Anselm Kiefer, this article explores how emotional experiences can appear to become visible in artworks. 

Emotion and the Physical Process of Making 

However, emotions do not only affect what an artwork is about. They can also influence how the artwork is physically made. 

When artists work with materials like clay or paint, their bodies become a part of the process. The speed of a mark, the pressure placed when modelling clay, or the scale of the sculpture can all reflect the artist’s state of mind. Because of this physical relationship, emotional states can affect the way materials are handled. 

For example, tension might lead to fragile arrangements or tight gestures. Anger or frustration may appear through tearing, cutting or aggressive marks. On the other hand, calmness might show through careful repetition or delicate forms. 

Materials can act as a record of emotional experience, an idea supported by Seitamaa-Hakkarainen et al. (2013). 

Emotion in My Own Studio Practice  

When I work with clay, the process of making becomes a way of releasing emotions that are difficult to express in other ways. 

Clay is a very responsive material. The way it is shaped, pressed or pushed can easily reflect the emotional state of the person using it. In my own work, I often apply a lot of force to the clay while creating sculptures. Squeezing, pressing and manipulating the material allows me to focus my energy directly into a sculpture. 

I leave surfaces uneven, keeping fingerprints and marks visible. These marks show the direct contact between my hands and the clay, and this emphasises the handmade quality of the work. 

Leaving these traces visible allows the process of making to remain part of the final outcome. The fingerprints, pressure marks and rough surfaces act as a record of the physical and emotional energy involved in making the work. 

This experience reflects the work of artists such as Peter Voulkos, who allowed physical gestures to remain visible in the surfaces of his ceramic sculptures. This reflects ideas discussed by Garth Clark (2012). 

Clare Twomey: Fragility and Emotional Tension 

The work of Clare Twomey often explores fragility and vulnerability. She frequently uses ceramics to create installations that feel delicate and unstable. Rather than presenting ceramics as strong and permanent objects, Twomey highlights how easily they can break. This fragility is central to her practice, as discussed on her official website (n.d.). 

One example is her installation Consciousness/Conscience (2003). In this work, thousands of fragile porcelain objects are displayed across the floor of a gallery space. Visitors are invited to walk through the installation, but doing so risks breaking the pieces.

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Figure 1. Twomey, C. (2003) Consciousness/Conscience. Porcelain installation. Victoria and Albert Museum, London. 

This creates a strong emotional tension. Viewers become aware of the fragility of the objects and the responsibility they carry as they move through the space. The possibility of breakage becomes a part of the work. 

In Twomey’s work, fragility becomes a way of communicating emotional ideas. The delicate materials reflect feelings of vulnerability and uncertainty. Instead of simply representing emotion, the physical structure of the artwork creates an emotional experience for the viewer (Twomey, n.d.). 

Tracey Emin: Emotion Left Visible 

Tracey Emin’s work is well known for its openness and emotional honesty. Her art often draws directly from personal experiences, including relationships, loss and memory as described by Tate (2015). 

One of her most famous works is My Bed (1998). The piece shows Emin’s own unmade bed surrounded by everyday objects such as empty bottles, clothing, and personal items. The work was created during a difficult emotional period of her life.

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Figure 2. Emin, T. (1998) My Bed. Installation. Tate Britain, London. 

What makes the artwork powerful is its directness. The bed is not cleaned or arranged for display. Instead, it appears exactly as it was left, showing the reality of the artist’s emotional state according to Tate, (1998). 

This raw showcase allows the viewer to see emotion in physical form. The objects in the installation act almost like evidence of the artist’s experience. Rather than hiding emotion, Emin allows it to remain visible in the material world. 

 

Peter Voulkos: Emotion Through Physical Force 

Peter Voulkos changed the way ceramics were understood in the art world. Instead of treating clay as a material for carefully shaped pottery, he used it in a much more expressive and physical way. 

One example of this approach is his sculpture Rocking Pot (1956). The work shows tearing, cutting and heavy manipulation of the clay’s surface. Garth Clark (2012) argues rather than hiding these marks, Voulkos left them visible.  

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Figure 3. Voulkos, P. (1956) Rocking Pot. Stoneware. Los Angeles County Museum of Art. 

The result is a sculpture that feels intense and energetic. The surface appears almost violent, as if the clay has been pushed to its limits. 

This approach reflects the influence of Abstract Expressionism, where the gesture and physical movement were important parts of the creative process. In Voulkos’ work, clay becomes a material that records the physical and emotional energy of the artist (Clark ,2012). 

Through these gestures, emotion becomes embedded in the material itself. The final outcome of the sculpture carries the marks of the artist’s actions and the emotional intensity behind them. 

 

Anselm Kiefer: Material Weight and Historical Memory 

 

The work of Anselm Kiefer often shows themes of history, memory and trauma. His paintings and sculptures frequently use heavy materials such as ash, lead, straw and thick layers of paint, as described by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (n.d.). 

A key example of this is his painting Margarethe (1981). The surface of the painting includes thick paint and straw embedded into the canvas. These materials create a damaged, rough appearance.

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Figure 4Kiefer, A. (1981) Margarethe. Oil, acrylic, emulsion, shellac and straw on canvas. Saatchi Collection. 

The work reflects post-war German history. The heavy materials and scarred surfaces reflect the emotional weight of this history. 

Kiefer’s work often feels physically overwhelming in scale and material. The scale of his paintings and the density of the materials create a strong presence in the gallery space. 

Emotional and historical experiences become embedded in the material structure of the work. The weight of the materials mirrors the emotional weight of the subject matter, as discussed by San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (n.d.). 

 

Conclusion 

By analysing the work of Clare Twomey, Tracey Emin, Peter Voulkos and Anselm Kiefer, it becomes clear that emotion plays an important role in the artistic process. 

Emotions shape how artists handle materials, control and risk during making. These conditions often appear in the textures, surfaces and scale of the final work. 

Emotion is not separate from production, but part of the material language of art. The physical qualities of artworks can carry traces of the emotional experiences that created them. 

Emotion exists both in the act of making and in how the work is perceived. From feeling to form, the act of making becomes a way for emotion to exist within material.  

References 

  • Clark, G. (2012) Shards: Garth Clark on Ceramic Art. New York: DAP. 

  • ‌ Seitamaa-Hakkarainen, P., Laamanen, T., Viitala, J. and Mäkelä, M. (2013) ‘Materiality and emotions in making’, Techne Series A, 20(3), pp. 5–19. 

  • Anttila, E., Doan, W., Barrett, T., Ruthmann, S. and Prendergast, M. (2014). International Journal of Education & the Arts ‘I Contain Multitudes’: The Challenges of Self-Representation in Arts-Based Educational Research. [online] Available at: http://www.ijea.org/v15si2/v15si2-2.pdf [Accessed 12 Mar. 2026]. 

  • ‌ Springgay, S. (2005) ‘Bodily knowing and art practice’, International Journal of Education & the Arts, 6(15). 

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