ceramic art. a human is “a being with brains and hands. as such our greatest joy comes when w can...
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CERAMIC ART
A human is “a being with brains and hands. As such our greatest joy comes when w can employ both our brains and our hands simultaneously in ways which are creative, useful, and productive.” – Thomas Aquinas
Is unique that is can be both an additive and subtractive sculptural medium to work with
Clay is grounding, therapeutic, and popular with students
WHY CLAY
Ceramics: art made from earth Is one of the most ancient and fundamental
techniques of sculptureAs early as 24,000 BC, animal and human figurines
were made from clay and other materials, than fi red in kilns partially dug into the ground
The fi rst use of functional pottery vessels for storing water and food is thought to be around 9000 or 10,000 BC
Cross cultural, universal, spans entirety of human history
Great overview of world and historic ceramics:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceramic_art
HISTORIC ROOTS
ANCIENT EXEMPLARS
The Oldest Known Ceramic Figurine
(29,000 BCE – 25,000 BCE)
Venus of Dolní Věstonice
Czech Republic
Oldest Known Potteryfrom about 18,000 years before
presentChina
African pottery; Kushite nation4,000 BCE
Mayan burial urn200 CE?
CERAMICS AROUND THE WORLD
Can range from fine grained and smooth to coarse and heavily grogged
Some are better suited for handbuilding, others for throwing
Colors range from white, gray, buff , and red-brown Depends on iron content
Smooth clay Will show fine detail when molded Tends to be soft and floppy
Grogged clay Will support itself Best for large sculptures
TYPES OF CLAY
KilnCalipersVariety of
wooden modeling tools
Wire strip toolPotters knifeFork
TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT
Kneading and wedging: ensures the clay has an even consistency
Only need to do this if the clay is recycledClay should be soft and malleable, but not sticky or
sloppyShould be able to squeeze into shapes with your
hands
PREPARING CLAY
Click on photo to play demo
METHODS OF BUILDING
Slab
CoilPinch pot
Soft clay: can smear together or use a coil of clay as an adhesive
Leather hard clay: Roughen the edges with a
fork Wet the edges Press together Score across the seam Wet the seam Smush a coil into the seam
to smooth surface again
METHODS OF JOINING
Solid modeling: shaping a lump of clay (air dry) Can’t fire solid clay; it will burst into pieces
Hollow modeling: joining hollow forms Pinch pot Slab
Using armature: a temporary or permanent skeletal system
Clay shrinks as it dries If you have areas of widely varying thicknesses, can dry at
different speeds and crack Use plastic bags or wraps to help control speed of drying Make sure your armature can shrink with the clay, or remove
it at the leather-hard stage
METHODS OF BUILDING
Why: So you can build complex shapes without the weight of the clay
distorting the form as you work So you can build medium large hollow forms; the hollowness helps
prevent cracking and breaking while firing How
Build a skeletal structure Sculpt your clay on top of and around the armature Let the clay dry to “leather hard” Cut the clay from the armature base using wire Piece sculpture back together by roughening the edges and joining
them Fire in the kiln
Alternatively, use cardboard or crumbled newspaper which will incinerate during the fi ring process
USING ARMATURE
Can use clay in conjunction with plaster for moldsCan make multiples of a ceramic or plaster sculpture
MOLDING AND CASTING
Leather hard after 24 hoursBone dry and ready for fi ring after about 3 days
Bisque Turns the clay into ceramic material Without fully fusing it Brought to temperature more slowly
reduces the risk of breakage in glaze firing
Glaze Melts glaze Fuses it into the clay body
Complete step by step to fi ring:http://www.ehow.com/how_2096986_fire-pottery-kiln.html
FIRING CLAY
ElectricEasier to control at low
settings
KILNS
Fuel burningRise in temperature faster
GlazesPainting and drawing
Painting on wet clay yields a “sensuality beyond that of charcoal or chalk on paper”
In clay, lines have form and depth: there is a weight to the inscription
Slip
METHODS OF FINISHING
Marilyn Lysohir
CONTEMPORARY EXEMPLARS
Clockwise from left:Noa Holzshtein13 by SevenEva HildYagi Akira
CONTEMPORARY EXEMPLARS
Clockwise from left:Wanxin ZhangJonathan TrotterJorie BermanPeter Voulkos
DESIGNING A LESSON PLAN FOR
CLAY
SculpturalFigurative2d: painting, carving, reliefsVessel/vase formsTeapots, pitchers, and drinking vessels
Student ceramic art contest:http://k12clay.org/index.php?page_id=3
People, places, or things
CATEGORIES OF CERAMIC ARTWORKS
Volume and mass All freestanding sculptures can be viewed from all angles Size and shapes gives a sense of volume
Planes Important to think about top and bottom views of a sculpture as well as front,
back, and sides Line
Can be used to create a sense of movement or shape Vertical: height, diagonal: direction and tension, curves: movement or fl ow
Scale Where will the sculpture be displayed?
Surface Defines the character of the final piece
Polished: refl ects light, enhances features Rough or textured: absorbs light so need more emphatic modeling
Relief Special category between a picture and a sculpture Can be low or high relief
Paper art
3D DESIGN BASICS
Some respond very favorably to the tactile nature of clay, others are repelled by it; have tools on hand so the students can interact with the clay without touching it
Be very alert to those students who have a history of pronounced oral exploration; they are likely to lick, sniff , or ingest the materials
Resources for general art lessons for special needs students:
http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/Files/special.htmhttp://www.saragreen.net/mh.html
SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS
Inner Animal:
Is there an animal that you feel a special affi nity for? One that you feel like you might share some characteristics with?
Take a piece of paper and write about 10 words that you would use to describe both yourself and your animal of choice
Hold the clay in your hands. Start molding the clay into the animal. Think about how the animal moves, and picture in your mind how that must feel. Keep shaping the clay and turning it in your hands. Try to not set the clay on the table at any point.
ARTFUL PROBLEM: ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Build a Buddy
Using the provided worksheet, reflect on the idea of bringing an inanimate creation to life.
What kind of companion would you build if you were able?
Begin to give form to your idea by pinching and pulling the clay into a desired shape. Keep turning the figure in your hands and viewing it from all angles. When you are satisfied with the basics, consider and then add the details that will give it it’s final personality and presence.
ARTFUL PROBLEM: MIDDLE SCHOOL
Earth Suit
In some belief traditions, an individual human life is viewed as an eternal flame which passes though numerous lifetimes and is housed in a number of diff erent bodies, human or otherwise. One way to describe this concept is the metaphor of our bodies as a “borrowed earth suit.”
Brainstorm this concept using mind maps, word lists, and thumbnail sketches
Choose your best design and use clay to give form to your idea.
ARTFUL PROBLEM: HIGH SCHOOL
The human body has been likened to an “Earth Suit.” Just as every astronaut must have a space suit to survive in space and every deep sea diver must have a diving suit to survive in the depths of the ocean, each of us must have an “Earth Suit” to survive on this planet. Earth Suits come in many wonderful varieties. Some Earth Suits are female and some male. Some are taller, some shorter, some younger, some older. Earth Suits also come in a variety of attractive shades. No matter what type of Earth Suit you may have inherited, certain realities apply to everyone. Each of us gets one and only one Earth Suit. If your Earth Suit is damaged by harmful substances, it may not perform very well. If part of your Earth Suit must be removed surgically, it will not grow back and, if your Earth Suit dies, you can’t stay here at all.
Take care of your Earth Suit!And help others do the same. http: / /www.ehd.org/dev_art ic le_intro.php
EARTH SUIT 2
Growth from previous projectsCreativity and unexpected discoveriesFulfi lls assignmentCare paid to projectHelpful and attentiveFocusExperimentation with composition and design
Similar printable version available here:http://www.goshen.edu/art/ed/rubric2.html
ASSESSMENT FOR ARTFUL PROBLEMS
Dirt spheres,or dorodango
OTHER PROJECTS WITH DIRT AND CLAY
Painting with modeling clay
Dig for your own local clay
Favorite resources:
Any clay or art supplies company for lesson plans Dick Blick, Skuit, Amaco
Marvin Bartel: potter and art educatorhttp://people.goshen.edu/~marvinpb/MB_Home.htm
Sculpting Basics by Karin Hessenberg Very simple, clear, easy to follow book
BIBLIOGRAPHY