|
|
This photo shows Chad Martin, right, with his hanging stoneware sculptures in his senior exhibit, December, 1997, Goshen College Art Gallery. |
Each student brings in all the work from
the term to be evaluated at the end of the term.
The work grade is based on the 12 best
pieces PER CREDIT HOUR. A person enrolled for three hours should plan to
have the best 36 pieces graded.
These are discussed and evaluated on the basis of the following:
1. creativity--how innovative you are in your work?
2. expressiveness--does the work communicate feeling and/or ideas?
3. design and aesthetics--do you consider concepts such as unity, proportion, balance, rhythm, theme with variation, etc.? Is functional work designed and crafted with the user's needs in mind? Do you care if a cup has a bottom rough enough to scratch a fine table? Do you care if piece feels no heavier than it looks, works well, has a good fitting lid and so on?4. skill--is the work well made for its purpose, for its material, for its production process? Does the work indicate control of the clay, the glaze, and the fire. Is the glaze appropriately selected and application thickness appropriate?
Make the art department 10 flat test tiles small enough to fit on a 9x12 inch piece of mat board. Make a duplicate set for yourself. Mount with white glue with all data so that anybody seeing it can repeat exactly what you did. Ask for glaze mixing details when working with small samples.
Have a proposal ready by week 4. Have some glaze tests fired in the first glaze firing. Do a glaze search on the Internet, check books, journals, other potters, as well as studying glazes we use. Read the text material on glaze experimentation.
This assignment is optional if you have previously completed it or if you are enrolled for less than three credits. However, if this is not your first term at less than three hours, this assignment is due this term.
C. Learning Tasks GradeThis set of tasks is on a separate page so you can print it and keep a record of your completed tasks.
Sign up for CLAYART for one week or more using e-mail. By reading the CLAYART on-line discussion, you will become aware of some current issues in the field. Because of the high mail volume of this list, you may cancel after one week. Using the digest setting will give less clutter in your e-mail box. During the week you are on-line, select one issue and bring a report to class for our discussion.
At least once during the term, find a relevant Internet site and share it with the instructor and the class. This should not be a site already listed on the Ceramic Links page.
Suppose you are in a contest to develop a new idea for a teapot. Work to be awarded one of the following prizes for the teapot or teapots you design and make.
Most humorous - Most conceptual - Most functional - Most unusual - Most multi-cultural - Most surreal - Most diminutive - Most expressive - Most human - Most animated - Most your category
Optional: Design cups, sugar bowl, and so on to complete the set.
HANDBUIDING project idea
Suppose you are in a contest to develop the best example of a handbuilt clay piece. Work to be awarded one of the following prizes for the best piece.
Most like soft clay - Most like another material - Best use of contrast - Most animated non-animal - Most powerful looking - Most relaxed looking - Most double meaning visual pun - Most surreal and fantastic - Most grandiose looking - Most personal - Most important social comment - Most complex - Most secretive hiding place - Most politically correct - Most sideways looking - Most challenging to use - Most simple to use - Most specialized function - Most expressive - Most symbolic idea - Most universal idea - Most cubistic - Most funny or unexpected looking - Most precious looking - Most monumental looking
Other handbuilding ideas
If you elect handbuilding, select an approach and perfect
it. Begin several at once so that each dries enough to support itself while
you work on others.
Suppose you are in a contest to develop the best example of a thrown vessel form. Work to be awarded one of the following prizes for the best-thrown vessel form.
Most spherical - Most cylindrical vertical - Most graceful vertical - Most powerful looking - Most relaxed looking - Most flat and wide - Most diminutive looking - Most grandiose looking Most personal - Most complex - Most lightest weight per size - Most sideways looking - Most challenging to use - Most simple to use - Most specialized function - Most inside-out anti-vessel idea - Most symbolic idea - Most universal idea - Most animated -Most silly looking - Most precious looking - Most monumental looking - Most your category
Other specific learning projects for those using the wheelSeveral basic wheel forms should be mastered. These are:
1. Cylinder
2. Vertical egg form
3. Vertical egg form inverted
4. Half sphere
5. Whole sphere
6. Combined sphere and cylinder
7. Low open form
The above should be made with control, but may then be altered and/or decorated for interest and expressiveness. Consider strong top rims and or interesting tops and bottoms for each of the forms.
See paragraph V below if you are beyond these skills.
More advanced ways to improve throwing
1. A series of lidded jars, casseroles, or other lidded
forms experimenting with several types of lids.
2. A series of pieces that include handles and/or spouts.
3. A set of something. Before beginning any set, produce
a series of variations of the form as a prerequisite to making the set.
4. A series of pieces too tall to be made from one lump.
Combine several parts, or coil and throw, or throw and invert.
5. Sculpture assembled from thrown parts.
Measure your skills now, and once every three weeks
Time yourself in throwing a certain size lump. Measure the cylinder height. Give yourself several tries if needed. Finish the piece and record the statistics. Fire and glaze it. Repeat a similar piece the first week of February, the first week of March and at the end of March. Record the results each time.