Yalda Bozorg: “Phase Transition”
Yalda Bozorg investigates the concept of Temperament and Materility in her PhD Thesis : From Emplaced to Temperament: A Maker’s Practical Investigation of a Theory of Temperament. 20th November. 2024. Cardiff School of Art And Design.
"Within every material is resistance, and the paint drip was no exception. Judge started observing drips of paint, initially observing the fluid properties of a liquid changing into those of a solid, a transition from one phase to another. This witnessing unexpectedly elicited a grief response; tears dampening Judge's face mirrored the drip's natural moment in flux." (Logie 2024)
Jenny Judge's Phase Transition (2023) investigates the relationship between time, space, and materiality. As I walked through her installation at the Craft Council of British Columbia in Vancouver, I was fascinated by how each part appeared in conversation with its surroundings, representing the passage of time and the influence of location. Judge's work, distinguished by her meticulous approach to materials, demonstrates how location and context leave an everlasting imprint on the materials she employs, converting them into something new and meaningful.
"The slow-moving paint is a metaphor for time passing. The drips coagulate, harden, freeze in place, and capture moments in time. I attach small objects such as spools of thread or buttons; paint drips and covers them and preserves them in a new state. It captures shifts in ageing, states of being, and the notion of changing memories over time." (Judge, 2023)
Phase Transition began with a seemingly innocent encounter—a drip of paint slipping down a discarded thread in Judge's workshop. According to Fae Logie's essay, Judge witnessed "the fluid properties of a liquid changing into those of a solid, a transition from one phase to another" (Logie, 2024), which sparked experimentation. This transition from liquid to solid, from one state of existence to another, is important to Judge's investigation into time and location in her work. Judge's materials are not passive; they react to their surroundings, reflecting the exact circumstances of where and when they are employed. For example, she describes how "the slow-moving paint is a metaphor for time passing." The drips congeal, harden, freeze in place, and record moments in time" (Judge, 2023). The materials, whether they are threads, paint, or small objects she attaches, such as spools of thread or buttons, are all influenced by the location and period they are in. Judge's technique of allowing paint to drip and cover these objects is a means of conserving them in a new state, marking them with the passage of time and the impact of their surroundings.
“As the threads proliferated in her studio, they also increased in girth with accumulating layers of paint. They were transmuted by the paint drips, losing their soft pliability, becoming rubbery to touch, and tangibly shifting into the realm of objects.” (Logie, 2024)
Judge's work is particularly intriguing for me since each material reacts differently to the conditions it encounters. She describes how the threads used in Phase Transition (Figure 14) range from "cotton thread to Kevlar to decorative trim, each reacting differently to the paint as it drips" (Judge, 2023). This diversity reflects the idea that place—whether it's the actual location of the studio, the gallery, or the specific environment of the materials themselves—directly impacts the output. The paint, defined as a "sculptural material," changes in viscosity, transparency, opacity, and colour concentration as it interacts with the other materials (Judge, 2023). Judge's work is also strongly influenced by memory and personal history, which are ingrained in the materials she utilises. She describes discovering her mother's button collection after her death, which prompted her to look into sewing supplies as a "repository for personal stories and past events" (Logie, 2024). In Phase Transition, these pieces—now cast in pâte de verre or kiln-cast glass—become "transparent ghosts of the physical objects," expressing the idea that materials may carry the weight of time and location (Judge, 2023).
Judge's installation's spatial arrangement emphasises the interplay of time, place, and material. The threads in Phase Transition dangle from eight to ten feet; their length and placement vary according to the gallery space. This flexibility demonstrates how the exhibition venue changes the perception and impact of the art. As she states, "several iterations of the piece will occur based on where it is exhibited and the context of where it is being shown" (ibid). This fluidity demonstrates how materials and their arrangement are closely tied to the environment. Reflecting on Jenny Judge's Phase Transition reveals that her work is about more than just the physical alteration of materials; it is also about the deeper links between time, place, and memory. The materials she employs are distinguished by their origins, responding to their surroundings in subtle ways. Judge's careful method illustrates the essence of change—how materials adapt, carry the past into the present, and continue to shift depending on where and when they exist.
Jenny Judge’s Phase Transition has an energy that feels deeply connected to the idea of temperament, even if that is not a term she uses. Her work captures how materials, processes, and environments influence each other, creating something unpredictable yet undeniably cohesive. Temperament, as I see it, is about this very interaction—the shifting, evolving nature of creative work shaped by all the elements at play.
In Judge’s pieces, the materials themselves seem to guide the process. The threads she uses—cotton, Kevlar, or decorative trim—each respond differently to the dripping paint. They are not just passive surfaces; their textures, thicknesses, and structures shape how the paint moves and settles. And as the paint hardens, it transforms the threads in return, stiffening them and adding weight. This constant back-and-forth is what temperament is about: a kind of living interaction where every choice, condition, or material has its say in the outcome. What is striking is how Judge works with unpredictability. She does not try to control every aspect; instead, she allows the materials and environment to have a voice. The slow drip of paint, the changes in viscosity, and the pull of gravity all leave marks that cannot be planned. This openness to change—to letting the process shape the final form—reflects the essence of temperament as a dynamic and relational force. Judge’s work reminds us that making is never a solitary act. It is an ongoing conversation, with materials, space, and time all playing a part.