Lime Tadelakt
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research & development
natural lime, rock-forming minerals, clay natural pigments, black olive soap
plastering, hand-polishing, natural curing
My knowledge of working with natural lime is rooted in my family heritage in stonemasonry and my interest in traditional and ecological building processes. During an extensive phase of research to develop my understanding of traditional applications of natural lime worldwide, I was drawn to an artisan technique called Tadelakt. Tadelakt (pronounced tad-eh-lact) is a decorative plaster indigenous to the Marrakech region of Morocco: a natural, lime-based plaster that’s both decorative and waterproof. The natural waterproof finish is achieved by applying a pure black olive soap to the final coat of plaster and then meticulously massaging with a stone to compress the surface. A chemical reaction develops between the lime and the soap to create resistance to water. The resulting surface is smooth and very tactile, reminiscent of natural stone. Natural pigments are traditionally added to the plaster mix in a wide range of natural tones.
Through my research and practical experiments based on materials available to me locally, I developed my own formulation using natural lime, pigments, rock-forming minerals and clay. The stone I used was selected for its smoothness and hardness at my local pebble beach. I applied the plaster to simple biocomposite forms to learn and develop the technique before applying the technique to sculpture prototypes with organic forms.
This research and development project informed a body of sculptural work entitled Between Rock