Surface Fire

The inspiration for this series came from a plate given to Mireille Perron by the well known Calgary ceramist Greg Payce. It took her years to decipher the phrase inscribed on the plate, as the answer had been erased. Two years ago, she finally uncovered its meaning: “Les Rebus illustrés sont très à la mode par les temps qui courent” (Illustrated rebuses are very popular in our times). This discovery led her to create a new collection of rebus plates reflecting the issues we face today. The climate crisis has introduced unprecedented phenomena that deeply affect life on Earth. Naturally, these changes are reflected in our language, with terms like "flash flood," "storm surge," "crown fire," and "underground wildfires" now part of everyday discourse. Perron’s rebus plates, designed in both French and English, convey climate change messages and aim to foster a sense of urgency about these global challenges. The images on these plates are created using a slip trailing device in a single, continuous gesture, symbolizing the urgency of delivering important messages. This immediacy contrasts with the slow process of ceramic firing, emphasizing the tension between the need for swift action and the reality of acting too slowly in critical situations.