Ceramics

1
Ceramics

• moisture, plastic and heat.
• Wedge
• Water, turns to steam

• Everything you will do with clay involves the
  interplay of these three variables
• What do you do to prevent stress cracks?
• Why did I spends much time on the mystical aspect
  of ceramics

2
Narrative Vessel
Narrative art tells a story, and the Ancient
Greeks were the first to paint on clay pots as a
way of telling stories. They painted action
scenes featuring the human figure as early as the
Bronze Age (around 2900-2000 BC). Art that
represents a form or the human form is called
figurative. During the Greek classical period,
figurative images reached a high point. Ceramic
artists painted elegant pots with monsters,
heroes, and mythological figures. In early
classical narratives (700 BC), black figures were
crafted on the pots natural red clay background.
Lines showing facial features or clothing were
incised (carved into the clay). Later vessels
(500 BC) featured the red figure style the
background is painted black and the figures
remains red. Artists began to paint lines and
details freehand with a brush. Until this time
Potters had been anonymous. Now the potters who
shaped the vessels and the painters who added the
details typically signed their ceramic vessels.

• Narrative art tells a story
• Ancient Greeks were the master at narrative
  vessels
• Figurative art that represents the human form
• Incised small lines that are carved into the
  surface of something
• Sgraffito- A decorative technique where a layer
  of slip applied to a clay body is scratched
  through to reveal the clay color

3
Narrative on ClayA Global Interest
Time line

• 2900 2000 BC 700BC 500BC

• The Bronze Age Greek Black Figure Style
  Vessels Greek Red Figure Style Vessels

4
Narrative on ClayA Global Interest

• Narrative art also flourished in the ancient
  Americas. About 500 years after the Ancient
  Greeks first developed the black figure
  technique, the Moche, a people on Peru North
  coast, were chronicling their beliefs and history
  on intricately painted pots. The Moche, who
  flourished from 50 AD to 800AD, had no writing
  system, but scholars compare their ceramics to a
  library, because the Moche recorded so much on
  their pots. Moche artists applied fine lines to
  the pot, a technique know as slip painting.

• Moche people from 50-800 AD were also creating
  narrative vessels which today chronicle their
  society

50 AD
Moche begin producing pottery Myans first begin
producing pottery
5
Narrative on ClayA Global Interest

• North of the Moche people, the Maya in the
  region now occupied by Belise, Guatemala, and
  Mexicos Yucatan province- created another great
  civilization. The Mayan classical period 250 AD
  - 850 AD) was marked by multicolored painted
  ceramics that detailed religious themes, rituals,
  and history. Mayan artists used basic shapes and
  relied heavily on lines as an expressive feature.
  Like the Moche and the Greeks the Mayan used
  Slip painting to create their designs, which were
  fired at low temperature. Artists personalized
  the pots with their names, the names of their
  patrons (customers) and sometimes the name of the
  town where the vessel was created.

6
Narrative on ClayA Global Interest

• Radial design a design that wraps around the
  circumference of a vessel

• Artists in all three cultures Greek, Moche, Mayan
  mastered the difficult art of painting a
  narrative scene on the outside of a round pot.
  Wrapping a composition around a pot requires
  careful planning because you can only see and
  work on a small portion of the pots surface at a
  time.
• All three cultures also used the same
  composition. The narrative is in the center and
  decorative elements are above and below it

7
Narrative Vessel

• Three elements of Classical Style
• Figure
• Radial line design
• Writing
• Some type of story is being told on the vessel.

• You will tell a story in a slip painted format
  similar to that of the classical narrative. In
  ceramics, classical style uses figurative imagery
  to tell a story. The artist uses line drawings
  for a wraparound design and also writes on the
  piece.
• The ceramic arts of the Greek, Moche and Mayan
  classical periods decorated their vessels with
  narrative (story telling) themes that often
  featured heroes or mythical creatures. Pots were
  also used to record special events such as
  weddings, funerals, festivals, and battles.
  Often these classical works were high status
  serving vessels used for rituals or awarded as
  gifts. They signified political power or social
  prestige.

8
Before you begin

• Classical style uses SYMBOLS to tell a story
• The artist uses line drawings for RADIAL (wrap
  around) design and may also write on the vessel

• Consider the narrative form as it is exists
  today. What artistic devices do we use to
  visually ell our stories.
• Think about the story you would like to tell.
  This could be inspired by comic books, urban
  legend, a story passed down through your family,
  or culture (fairy tales) or something inspired by
  your own imagination (a story you have written)
• Develop a narrative design that dramatizes your
  story
• Sketch the story in sequence.
• Use the human figure in your narrative. Your
  figures can be realistic, cartoonish or stylized.
• In your design, include at least two decorative
  elements that follow the classical style line
  patterns, face and body (in profile) writing or
  symbols
• Detail line can be incised of slip painted
• Your Line Patterns, Symbol designs and figures
  and writing must be in at least three radial
  bands.

9
(No Transcript)
10
(No Transcript)