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 fired in kilns partially dug into the ground

The first 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

Coil Pinch 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 firing 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 firing 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 firingGlaze

Melts glaze Fuses it into the clay body

Complete step by step to firing: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 flow

Scale Where will the sculpture be displayed?

Surface Defines the character of the final piece

Polished: reflects light, enhances features Rough or textured: absorbs light so need more emphatic modeling

Rel ief 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 affinity 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 different 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 discoveriesFulfills 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