Vince Pitelka - wpitelka@tntech.edu 
Office Hrs. - Tues, Thurs. 1:30-2:30 - Phone: Office - 931/372-3051 Ext. 111
or 615/597-6801 Ext. 111, Home - 615/597-5376

Students With Disabilities requiring accommodations should contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS). An Accommodation Request (AR) should be completed as soon as possible, preferably by the end of the first week of the course. The ODS is located in the Roaden University Center, Room 112; phone 372-6119.

Required Text - Available in the gallery:  Pitelka, Vince. Clay: A Studio Handbook, American Ceramic Society 2001

Course Objectives - To build in the student:

Background
The potter’s wheel first appeared in Palestine almost 5000 years ago. It arose as an elaboration of the simple banding wheel, providing a mechanical rotary motion to facilitate the construction of clay vessels. Before the potter’s wheel, all vessels were handbuilt by pinch or coil methods, with their inherent organic irregularity or asymmetry. In the Western Hemisphere, classical notions of beauty have often been associated with symmetry and physical perfection, and even before the appearance of the wheel potters generally strived for smooth, symmetrical vessels, but always with the essential slight irregularity inherent in handbuilt form. 

With the advent of the wheel, and even more so with the onset of the Industrial Revolution and mass-production, potters have naturally used the device like a machinist’s lathe: a means of quickly producing ever more symmetrical and mechanically perfect vessels. While that may seem a noble accomplishment, it is not necessarily a logical goal, as we will discover in our exploration of contemporary wheel-thrown work. 

Today, there are no limits to how the wheel is used. Whether for studio production or one-of-a-kind vessels, the wheel is often best used as a tool to make pots that are subsequently altered off the wheel, or to make components for assembling handbuilding pots.

Contemporary ceramics is a wide open field, with unlimited possibilities for innovative expression on or off the wheel. Through the 1960s, the Modernist movement in painting and sculpture distanced art from the tangible realities of everyday life, and therefore tended to separate art from functional craft. Fortunately, through the evolution of Postmodernism and subsequent directions in art the distinctions between art and life, and the associated divisions between fine art and fine craft have diminished significantly. The only tangible distinction between fine art and fine craft is in the degree of practical function, which need never separate art and craft aesthetically. An exceptionally beautiful vase or teapot is as much of a work of art as a fine statue or painting.

Course Description
We are here to investigate the technique and aesthetics of the potter's wheel. Our primary emphasis is hands-on studio work, with frequent demonstrations of throwing and decorating technique. In slide discussions we will explore historical and contemporary wheel-thrown form and decoration as they relate to specific assignments. We will work with our stock claybodies, including the Warren Mackenzie stoneware and the studio stoneware. Most of the work will be fired in raku or high-fire reduction, but we will likely have the opportunity to put some work in salt, soda, or wood firings. All of you will participate in loading, firing, unloading, and kiln-cleanup.

You will mix your own claybody from raw materials at considerable savings over purchasing moist bagged clay. The Mackenzie stoneware is a textural sandy stoneware with excellent throwing properties. The studio stoneware is a smooth gritless body that throws beautifully, but the lack of filler materials such as sand or grog causes increased drying and firing shrinkage, with increased risk of shrinkage cracks.

We stock a range of slips, terra sigillata, glazes, and oxide stains that are maintained by the artist-in-residence. If you notice that a particular slip or glaze is getting low in the bucket, or if there is any problem with it, please inform the instructor or the artist-in-residence promptly.  We will learn the basics of mixing slips and glazes, and at your own discretion you may mix up test batches of a few slips and/or glazes. Thousands or recipes are available in my library and the Craft Center library. Always initially mix and test small test batches before committing materials for a larger batch. 

Designing Pots
In this course we deal with issues of practical function, but avoid thinking only in terms of function. Remember that every pot is an expressive, sculptural piece, which communicates a message through surface, form, and utility. Consider all these things, and try to be original and innovative in your work. Once you learn the basics, it is your responsibility to design each pot - to create vessels purposefully with an idea of shape and surface in mind. Consider ergonomics - the way the pot feels and functions in a utilitarian sense. How does it fit the hand or the lip? How well does it serve its intended utilitarian purpose? Consider overall design - the interaction of shape, balance, color, contrast, pattern, texture, etc. Do all of these elements work together in unison? Are they compatible with the utilitarian function of the vessel? Consider gesture - the essential physical expression of the pot. Does it look like the vessel wants to serve its intended purpose?

Take freely from the slide-shows, but at the same time, carefully consider personal concerns and inclinations - let the forms you make be expressions of who you are and what you think. Try to avoid the common, the ordinary, and the corny or "cute" (unless it is specific to your concept). And remember, barring catastrophic forces, ceramic objects can survive into eternity. Don't let this weigh you down, but consider the responsibility it places upon you to create worthwhile objects. This could be your legacy.

Approach the potter’s wheel with the full realization of its potential. As discussed earlier, the wheel is a mechanical device that tends to impose a rhythm, symmetry, and uniformity upon the clay. Take advantage of those qualities, but do not let them limit the possibilities in your work. The propaganda of progress and industrialization has brainwashed us into thinking of mechanical uniformity as an advantage, and in this case the wheel enables us to produce precise, symmetrical clay vessels very quickly, while similar handbuilt forms take longer and might be uneven and asymmetrical. In contemporary ceramics this mind set can be a severe limitation and handicap, in its assumption and/or imposition of uniformity and exactness. 

In developing your skills you will learn to create uniform, symmetrical wheel-thrown forms, but avoid thinking of this as the ultimate objective. Take risks, exploring the possibilities of asymmetrical and/or altered shape, manipulated by warping, paddling, slicing, faceting, disassembling, reassembling, etc. Much of the most exciting work in ceramics today has been "thrown and altered" to some extent. As you learn to use the wheel, be aware of its limitations. It is an ingenious tool, but you must remain in charge. Don’t let the mechanical precision of the wheel seduce you into allowing it’s possibilities to dictate yours.

Clay consistency and wheel speed are of critical importance. Throwing stiff clay is physically taxing, and can be physically harmful for some people. Throwing at high wheel-speeds encourages mechanical precision and symmetry, while slower throwing speeds and softer clay allow a more organic development of form. A popular phrase today is "soft clay on a slow wheel." With softer clay and lower wheel speeds it is still possible to throw very quickly, but the resulting wares will show more expressive energy translated directly from the movements of the potter.

The size of wares you make is important, since throwing large comes only with practice. Size-limits depend on your ambition and ability, and on the size of our kilns. Raku wares are also limited by our ability to lift them from the kiln red-hot.

Expectations and Grading
Attendance and Additional Studio Time
Regular on-time attendance is required. Demonstrations and/or slide shows will take place early in the class meetings - try not to miss any of them. This is a three-hour class - arrive well-rested and energized in order to make the most of it, but feel free to take breaks when you need. If special circumstances force you to miss more than one class meeting in a row, stay in touch with me so that we can work around it. I can be flexible in special situations as long as I know what is going on. Otherwise I expect you to be here for every class meeting. At least 60% of class time will be devoted to working on assigned projects.

Learning to throw and improving your skills require frequent and consistent practice, which cannot be accomplished within the normal class meeting times. It is up to you to put in at least six hours per week of additional studio time on your own to develop skills and complete your projects. You cannot make the necessary progress without this additional time. By official ACC policy the studios are open until 11:00 every night, but if you are in the studios when they lock up you can stay as long as you like.

Contacting You Via Email
I will occasionally send you messages via the TTU email distribution list for this class.  This has become a preferred means of getting class information to students, and it is your responsibility to check your email at least once every few days.  If you use another email address, then set your TTU email address to forward to your preferred address.  You will be responsible for any information sent to you via the TTU email distribution list for this class.  

Determining Your Grade
Up to 80% of your grade depends on enthusiastic involvement in your studio projects, incorporating information discussed and demonstrated in class. You are strongly encouraged to bring external and personal influences and ideas into your work. Originality and innovation will be generously rewarded. Grades will be assigned as follows:

Note: In addition to the above criteria, assignments turned in late without sufficient excuse will be marked down one letter grade for each class meeting that they are late.

At least 20% of your grade depends on attendance and class participation. Class participation includes a proactive involvement in studio cleanup and the loading, firing, unloading, and cleaning of kilns. The above percentages are flexible, at my discretion, in that excessive absences will seriously affect your grade, regardless of the quantity or quality of your work. I will not take roll in a traditional sense, but if you habitually miss classes I will keep track, and after four unexcused absences each additional unexcused absence will result in one letter grade reduction in your final grade.

Group Reviews
At midterms and finals we will schedule group reviews to evaluate your progress. These reviews are the equivalent of midterm and final exams, and attendance is mandatory.  I believe in structuring reviews primarily around constructive dialogue and information exchange, minimizing confrontation or embarrassment. The end result is that negative criticism is often made by omission, which can be confusing. If no one says anything about your work it may be because they are not in a talkative mood. It may be because they cannot find anything worth talking about. It may be because they are so impressed that they do not feel up to commenting about the work, or do not know where to begin. Often, the only way for you to get the information you need is to catalyze the discussion by asking specific questions of the rest of us. It is your responsibility to contribute to every review, and when we are discussing your work to seek appropriate comments and suggestions. If we all participate equally in sustaining the momentum then each review will invariably be a productive experience.

Keep in mind that the instructor and/or artist-in-residence are available at any time (within reason) for individual or group critique.

Required Materials
Clay materials, moist bagged clay, all the standard tools, and the text are purchased through the gallery. For specialized tools, stop by Mid-South Ceramics in Nashville, or check on-line suppliers. Also, be sure to consult the section entitled "Clay Studio Tools: Buy, Make, Find, Improvise" in Chapter 10 of the text.

Class Projects in Sequence
Basic-Level Students: This list applies to students approaching the wheel with little or no previous experience, and corresponds with the course schedule below.

Intermediate-Level Students: This sequence is similar to the one above, and roughly follows the course schedule below, but is intended for students who already have basic throwing skills. The choice of claybodies is yours.

Advanced-Level Students: Any students with substantial wheel experience will pursue a more advanced project sequence designed around areas that most need development and exploration.  Give me a brief but comprehensive written proposal by the start of the second week of class.