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
Art 3520a - Intermediate-Advanced Clay Studio - Syllabus
Surface Design
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.
Preface
The 3520-3521 Advanced Studio course
series is intended to provide a graceful transition to the real world of studio
art. In these courses you
take a great deal of responsibility for your own progress. If you have not done
so, it will help to define your purpose in being here at the Craft Center, and your objectives
once you leave the protected environment of the Craft Center. Consider the
following questions. What does it mean to be a professional artist/craftsperson?
Do you draw satisfaction from most aspects of the studio work? What does making art do
for you? What do you want to say through your artwork, or, to put it another
way, what do you want to accomplish with your art? For you, what constitutes an ideal quality of life?
What lifestyle do you envision?
For any student here at the Craft Center, the most worthwhile and productive
accomplishments are to aggressively pursue all the skills and information you can manage,
and to address the above questions realistically. If you have not already done
so, you must figure out how art fits into your life, and how you as an artist
fit into the real world. From a theoretical point of view, everyone is an artist
subconsciously, but most people suppress it early in life. Kids make art
naturally and readily, but often stop when well-meaning parents and teachers start criticizing their work
and telling them what art is and is not. We in this room are among the small
minority who have been able to retain or renew our
commitment to art and craftsmanship.
Art at best is the spontaneous product of inner drive and intuition - a
natural visual communication which arises from the psychological, emotional, and
physical conditions and experience that make us who we are as individuals. It
makes no difference whether we are talking about pots or paintings - to be
successful and satisfied as an artist, you must make work which arises from
those conditions and experience.
Course Objectives - The 3520-3521 course series seeks to build in the student:
Required Text:
Pitelka, Vince. Clay: A Studio Handbook, American Ceramic Society, 2001
Course Description
Art 3520a is an intermediate-advanced studio course focusing on
building technical knowledge and studio skills and on developing individual
stylistic concept. Offered every other fall semester, this course has a
secondary emphasis on surface design in ceramics. Our primary concern is
hands-on studio work, but we will have frequent slide-discussions covering
surface design issues in historical and contemporary clay. Studio demonstrations
will focus on surface design, but may cover any part of the ceramic process as
appropriate to your work.
Surface Design Emphasis
Your ability to design and execute work effectively depends greatly
on your vocabulary of surface decoration. As with all material-based art
media, this is accomplished by exploring markmaking and surface development at
all phases of the ceramic process. We will have a series of slide discussions and assignments dealing
with surface design techniques and issues. The assignments will be flexible in
that you will be able to select the specific thrown or handbuilt forms for your
surface decoration experiments. The only requirement is that you include all of
the various surface design techniques specified in the assignment handouts. It
is suggested that you do your surface design assignments separate from the work
identified in your project proposal unless there is a compelling reason to combine them.
Inventorying Your Knowledge and Skills
As you proceed through the 3520-3521 course sequence, use the skills
inventory handout to take inventory of the skills and techniques you have
explored. Purposefully deal with those you have missed by including them
in your project proposal. It is easy for an emerging artist
to settle into a narrow stylistic direction based upon limited proficiency in
materials and techniques, without ever experiencing the full range of
possibility. The resulting work generally betrays a shallowness of method and
material, and lacking breadth, the artist may soon experience studio burn-out.
Don't be intimidated by skill inventory list. The pursuit of knowledge is
habit forming, and if you already know a little about something it is much
easier to pursue it later on. You will be far more sure of your own
stylistic direction if it arises from broad fluency in ceramic materials,
processes, and forms. It is what you don't know that holds you
back. Keep testing yourself by continuously trying numerous variations of form
and surface. I am not trying to steer you away from a particular
direction. I just want to assure that all avenues are open, and that your work
and your chosen career direction are right for you.
Deciding What Direction To Go With Your Work
Your
work will evolve over time, but at any point it should arise from a
purposeful sense of direction. Do work you feel committed to, but examine that
commitment. Think about your role as an artist/artisan. What are you
trying to say and do with your work? Are the content
and direction of your current work consistent with your long-term
objectives? Whatever your primary direction, always keep experimenting and
exploring in order to broaden your technical and aesthetic horizons. Get into this
habit now, and continue it throughout your involvement in the arts.
Content and Narrative
Whether you are making fine utilitarian pots or figurative sculpture,
content and narrative are of central importance. Unless your artwork
"speaks" to the user or viewer in a way that is new and different, it
will be seen as ordinary and likely will be ignored. We tend to talk about content much more with work
which is obviously narrative, but you must always consider content and
narrative, no matter what kind of work you are doing in
clay.
As you search for an honest personal direction in your work, never hesitate
to take chances. That's where the most productive learning takes place. Make work which
arises from your personal thoughts and concerns. Experiment with expressive
surface effects and see what happens. The greatest disappointment in life is to
miss a good opportunity. Make the most of this one.
The Project Proposal
This week we will discuss the studio work you each intend to pursue,
and by the second week of class you will submit a typewritten project proposal
which you and I will mutually agree upon. The proposal should divide the
semester into fourths, projecting what you intend to accomplish by midterm and
by finals. This should include at least two cycles of making and firing work.
The proposal need not be lengthy, but do not take it lightly. It is essential
that you start the semester with a clear plan of where you are going with your
primary work. This project proposal can be multi-faceted. If you are an
intermediate-level student your proposal should address the work you need to do
to broaden your knowledge and skills. If you are an
advanced student, your project proposal will focus on the primary direction in
your work, but you must continue to inventory your knowledge and skills. For all
students, as the semester proceeds your work will evolve, and in your
mid-semester review we will talk about how the work aligns with the initial
project proposal, and if necessary you may submit a modified proposal.
How Much Work Should You Do In This Class?
That's up to you, but from quantity arise both fluency in the
material and the willingness to take risks. There is no substitute for quantity
production and extensive practice and experimentation. You have to go through a
lot of work, take a lot of risks, try a lot of new things to become an
autonomous, confident studio artist.
A great shortcoming of American public education is that it teaches response
rather than initiative. It teaches you to follow directions rather than
originate direction. As professional clay artists in the real world you must
take initiative and work very hard in the studio and marketplace. If you have
made the right choice and are genuinely dedicated, the studio involvement and
commitment will come easy. But consider this: if dedicated studio involvement
comes as a struggle for you now, it
is unrealistic to expect that you will suddenly become more productive when you are out
of school. Your future success as a clay artist hinges upon your level of
involvement and accomplishment here.
The Question of Scale
Scale is a critical consideration in all artwork. Working large
tests our skill, and may be necessary to our intent, but the way the work speaks
to us depends on many factors, and some work demands small size. Carefully
consider this issue, and make sure that the scale of your work is appropriate
for what you are trying to say. If you decide that working big is right for you,
then go all the way, but also keep in mind that working very large requires
considerable skill, and it takes time to build those skills. A series of
medium-sized successful pieces will teach you a lot more than one large piece
that fails.
Choice of Materials in Your Work
We are studying the technique and possibility of clay, but
ultimately you can use anything at all. Think about the expressive possibilities
of various materials and consider how they fit your intended content and
narrative and how they could be combined with clay. Mixed-media is an
important possibility in contemporary ceramics. Some non-ceramic materials will
survive the firing and can be incorporated into the damp clay work (consider
shrinkage). A wide variety of other materials can be
incorporated into the work after the firing.
Studio Time
We will spend a considerable amount of in-class time on
lecture/discussions and group reviews. In order to make satisfactory progress,
you need to put in at least six hours per week of additional studio time. Try to
establish a regular work schedule to keep a good pace.
Access to Information Outside of Class
If you are unsure of something or need information feel free to seek
me out at any time in or out of class. If I'm not here, E-mail me or call me at
home. Keep your text, studio handbook, and journal around at all times so you
can consult them whenever the need arises. Also, our resident artists are
expected to be involved with you and your work, so always feel free to consult
with them. Finally, use the library!!
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
80% of the grade depends on energetic exploration of the media
through class assignments and through a series of projects mutually agreed upon by you and
me, all completed in a timely fashion. Originality, innovation, and
productivity will be generously rewarded. 20% depends on class
participation, including attendance and participation in lectures/discussions, firings and studio cleanup.
Individual and Group Reviews
Once at midterms and again at finals we will schedule individual and
group reviews to evaluate and document your progress. These reviews are the
equivalent of midterm and final exams, and attendance is mandatory. Resident artists and/or
students from other areas may be invited to sit
in on the group reviews.
Required and Recommended Tools and Supplies
By now you have accumulated a good range of ceramic tools, but you
should add to your collection every semester. We have a good selection of tools
in the gallery, and there are wonderful tools available online. Check out
the tools imported from East Asia, such as those available at www.chineseclayart.com.
Consult the section on "Making, Finding, and Improvising Clay Tools"
in Chapter 10 of the text.
The following represents a list of required (unless specified optional) studio tools and
supplies.
 | Textbook - Clay:
A Studio Handbook |
| Sketchbook (not lined paper!!) for sketches and notes |
| Pocket folder for class handouts |
|
Selection of band-loop and/or steel-strap trimming tools - wire-loop tools are
intended only for sculpting wet clay |
|
Selection of sponges, including ones which can be cut or carved for glaze/slip
stamps |
|
Cut-off wires - if you are throwing off the hump, make a Japanese-style cut-off
string |
|
Wooden knife and assortment of wooden modeling tools |
|
Needle tools |
|
Metal, wood, and rubber ribs |
|
Pieces of chamois - car wash chamois from Walmart or auto parts store is great,
but make sure it is real chamois |
|
X-Acto knife (pencil handle with 1" tapered blade) |
| Fettling knife |
| Several kitchen forks |
| Toothed stainless steel rib |
|
Calipers (required for throwers) |
|
Rolling-pin |
|
24" ruler |
| Compass for drawing circles (optional) |
| Plastic or metal draftsman's square (optional) |
| Wood paddles (optional) |
| Large selection of bisque stamps and other textured/patterned tools and/or
materials for creating impressed decoration |
|
Surform Shaver and Surform Pocket Plane - available from hardware or home improvement store |
|
Selection of brushes for slips and glazes - the bamboo handle long-bristled
brushes are best, including the wide "hake" brushes |
|
30-gallon plastic barrel for clay - avoid the cheap barrels with wheels, as they
cannot take the weight |
|
Selection of plastic buckets and other containers, including 5-gallon buckets
with lids for recycling clay |
| Painter's canvas (get 10 oz. or 12 oz. canvas) for covering work surface
and to cut into sheets for rolling out slabs - best prices are at big fabric
stores, or as painter's drop cloth canvas at house paint stores |
| A few old towels, tee-shirts, or other soft absorbent rags |
| Good collection of plastic sheeting for covering work - dry cleaner bags
are excellent |
| If you are doing large sculptural work, get a few old sheets or other
large pieces of soft thin fabric to wick away condensation when damp forms
are covered with plastic |
|
Good quality twin-element respirator with flexible rubber face-piece - not disposable paper ones! |
