Spring Summer 2026 Store
This season, artist James Herman was invited to develop a speculative clay processing machine through his own practice, expanding upon Olderbrother’s ongoing exploration of earth pigments.
Built from a makeshift aluminum framework fitted with plumbing, pumps, solar panels, a settling tank, and a traditional gold sluice, the fully operational machine processes foraged earth through washing, gravity separation, and filtration. Material enters through a cast aluminum hopper before moving through the sluice, where larger aggregate is removed and fine clay remains suspended in water. The clay then settles before being dispersed onto an evaporation tarp, where it dries for collection.
Although separate from Olderbrother’s production process, the machine follows the same principles used to prepare our clay pigments. Herman introduces sound and low frequency electromagnetic resonance as speculative extensions of the system, imagining a machine where practical engineering gives way to playful experimentation.
In collaboration with James Herman
Video by Rob Fraebel
Photos by Michael Irwin
Olderbrother Store 566 Rose Ave, Venice, CA 90291