Magic, poetry, and production : a conversation with Jesmond Vassallo

Abstract

Stepping into the studio, the fragrance emanating from a dark solution being swirled in a container provides a warm welcome. Jesmond Vassallo now pours this concoction into a funnel covered with filter paper. There is a moment of hesitation as he selects, from the array of pots and tins in front of him, the container best-suited for the job. The small group of visitors—students of conservation studies—huddle around the table and observe attentively. One might be forgiven for mistaking this with some sort of ceremony, because in some ways it is: Vassallo is making ink.