Project #1

“Nature: Observation and Sense Ability”

Visual References: Syd Carpenter, Sadashi Inuzuka, Keiske Mizuno, Susan Beiner, Bethany Krull, Liz Quackenbush, Juan Granados, Etsuko Tashima, Yumiko Goto, Claudi Casanovas, Angus Suttie, Kathy Butterly, Tony Marsh, Chris Gustin, Geo Lastomirsky, Gary Erikson, Ron Nagle, Tori Arpad, Kelley Eggert. and images from the book “Nature as Designer”, author Bertel Bager.

Assigned Reading:
“Postmodern Ceramics”, Chapter 5 – Organic Abstraction . On library reserve in FAA Library

"Hands in Clay", Speight, (Chapters 1, 11,13,14,15) : Intro, Handbuilding, Glaze, Firing)
Design; what subject matter, concept, aesthetic?

Video: Maria Martinez coil building techniques (available at FAA Library and can be shown in class upon request)

Assignment:

Create a sculpture that reflects your relationship to nature using a plant form, either vegetable or floral as a point of departure. Nature has an ongoing cycle of growth and decay. The sculpture should be generated by some personal observation of nature and a conceptual response to this natural occurrence. When you consider an idea you might think about your relationship to seasons; germination, growth, fullness, decline. The work is not to mimic nature or be a mere copy but should involve an idea about a specific occurrence in the natural world that has touched you. The final sculpture should be a fully 3 dimensional form designed to be viewed in the round. The form cannot be vessel oriented. The work can be narrative but should definitely interpret nature to convey a personal response to it. Think about simplifying forms, affecting a feeling of mass and implied weight. Surface, organic transitions and textures should be considered and incorporated into the form.

Technical Requirements:

- Construction method – thick coil building and or stacked slab construction

- Size – the final sculpture must be 24 inches in one dimension

- The use of organic transition and surface texture must be considered

- Controlled drying using a cloth bath towel over the leather hard clay and covering this with light weight plastic will permit slow and even drying. An even dry out will prohibit cracking. It is up to you to control the dry out for the classroom has variable drafts and airflow.

- All sculptures are to be completed by glazing. Underglaze and colored slips can be used on leather hard or bisque clay for color as well as color glazes.

Some notes about Glaze:

Glaze, is basically a clay and glass coating applied to bisque ware and fired to create the color and surface effects which complete your art work. The compatibility of form and surface color and design is a constant consideration in the Ceramic Arts. The options for use of glaze application techniques and glaze types are infinite and provide the completed aesthetic to the ceramic form.

Glaze application can be done by dipping, pouring, spraying, brushing (not recommended for most of our shop glazes), and or sponging onto the bisque clay surface. You will be taught how to achieve a good application using the spray gun.

It has been said there are no "bad' glazes. Poor results occur only through poor application of the glaze being used. Eighty per cent of the success rate in glazing is due to application. It is important to have an adequate thickness of the coating of glaze applied to the piece. On the average the glaze coating should be the thickness of a three by five card or approximately 1/32 of an inch. Thickness of applied glaze can be checked when the glaze dries completely
(an average time of about five minutes) by scratching through the glaze with your fingernail. This will reveal the thickness of the wall of glaze.

Glaze melts in the heat of the firing and flattens in a molten surface that clings to the clay form. Not an air temperature pigment, fired color and surface samples are necessary to practice and learn what application works best. Test tile samples are available to you in our glaze lab to aid in selecting surface, color and textures. However, it is best to test to see how your application works for the result might be different depending upon wall thickness, time within the glaze bucket, or thickness of the glaze itself.

The thickness of the glaze, itself, as well as the length of time that the ware is dipped or poured into or over the ware are two very important factors to notice. The thicker the walls of the clay form, the more glaze it will absorb. Conversely, thin walled pieces can become over saturated with the liquid glaze. This will cause thinner application and problems in drying the glaze on the surface. This information will be discussed in lecture in class. (Please take notes when this is described for each of the glazes you will be using).

Reference materials ‑ Glaze Videos by Robin Hopper (If requested these will be shown in class. Videos are available for overnight check out from the Fine Arts and Architecture library)

You will be graded on:

Forming and craftsmanship
Success of the modeling
The successful relationship of the design and the concept (unity, color, and individuality in portraying your idea)
Successful use of color
Craft of glaze application
Completeness of presentation; hanging and mounting the final sculpture
Degree of difficulty vs. success