Cob Ape Theory...If Clay could talk

If Clay could talk, what would it say? What stories would it share? What secrets would be revealed if we were able to tune in and hear its voice. As a cob builder and clay plasterer I have spent 1000's of hours mixing mud, staring into the spiraling vortex of a drill blending together clay and sand, or my bare feet pressing and twisting clay soils from around the country to mix cob (a mixture of clay, sand and straw). The aim at which began as a process to create beautiful structures made of the earth. To showcase this fundamental element as a superior alternative in the construction world, to construct pizza ovens, to entire wall systems for homes, to create fine finish plasters and Art. My journey was to rebrand clay as a remedy for our deleterious building culture. An industry using building materials that are toxic to the environment; toxic in harvest and production, toxic for the builders using the materials, and toxic for the inhabitants living in the spaces these materials create. As a cob building apprentice 10 years ago, I could feel the healing power of clay, I felt its medicine run through me, and that energy has inspired me to preach to its power, and build...

Clay is much more than dirt, clay holds the story of our planet’s entire history, in each lump of mud. You can find clay in most subsoils around the globe, and if you dig some up, and listen closely enough, you’ll begin to understand the power that lies beneath our feet.  Like any artist, Clay had a vision, to give birth to Art and Beauty latent in its composition. Whispering influence into evolutions grand plan to help engineer human beings to unleash this gift to the world. When clay particles get wet they become sculptable, and it is that spectacular quality which quickly invited our primate ancestors to play and to tap into the creative spirit; unleashing this power to create outside of the realm of function and into the realm of Beauty. Like magic, this process is how human art was born and our prefrontal cortex exploded in growth! Clay was the driver for our transition from Monkey to Human in the story of evolution. Clay started to shape our imagination and our emotional intelligence, showing us how to turn ideas and feelings into physical forms giving us permission to test the structural boundaries of what was possible. With this stretching human beings discovered the infinite realm to DREAM. It was the clay that whispered into our subconscious "Anything is possible." And it's because we have learned to dream that every invention, from airplanes to submarines, came to life. Clay is the enchanter, the magician, and without, there would be no dreams, no creative spirit, and no art. The ground with which we walk on, has a story to tell, its magic, and if you dig some up, you can feel the history of the entire planet within the palms of your hands…

Strip off your socks and find a patch of mud to stand on. Listen to clay’s voice. What does it sound like? What does it feel like? Look closely and see if you can find what insects might be living in the clay, or what colors it holds and what this tells you about the nutrients and minerals in the soil. What story can you piece together about the place where you’re standing?