Intro to Pottery Primitive, Production, Present

1. Intro to PotteryPrimitive, Production, Present • Primitive • An introduction to pottery and ceramic terms through early pottery methods. • Production • Making Pottery and selling it for a living. • Present • Pottery as a art form.

2. PotteryPrimitive Pottery: Ware, such as plates, bowls, mugs, pots, vases, molded from moist clay then hardened by heat.

3. Early civilizations used pottery as a survival method. They stored food, water and other goods in the pieces they made. Pottery……

4. Primitive Pottery Examples…

7. What is clay? • Is it that red stuff that gets all over my shoes and stains everything? • Is it mud? • It is play dough, right?

8. Clay is…… • Al2O3 2SiO2 2H2O • Alumina + Silica + Water • Aluminum Oxide + Powder Glass+ Water

9. Potential Health Hazards with Clay • Clay dries out skins quickly and can lead to cracking and bleeding of the skin over time. • Clay contains powdered glass. Breathing clay dust over long periods of time can result in lung complications. (story time) • Fired clay edges become very sharp. They can cut skin and fabric and may scratch surfaces. • Some clay tools are very sharp and can cut skin.

10. Properties of Clay • Heat Resistant (resists very high temps.) • Unlike wood or metal, clay does not melt at high temperatures. • Malleable (very workable when wet) • Easily squeezed, pressed or flattened into any shape. • You can try it out now!

11. Properties of Clay • Versatile (used for many applications) • Tableware • Hip Replacement • Toilets • Recyclable • Unfired (Bonedry) pieces can be crushed and re-used.

12. Types of Clay • High Fire (2300+ deg) • Stoneware (Tiles, bowls) • Porcelain (Delicate plates, mugs, bowls) • Low Fire (1700-2000 deg) • Earthenware (Sculpture, jugs, bowls) • Terra Cotta (Flower pots, exterior)

13. Earthenware • Earliest pieces found in Mesopotamia around 5000 B.C. • Used by the Egyptians before 2500 B.C. • Used in Greece around 1000 B.C. • This is some old stuff!

14. Hand building Using one’s hands and simple hand tools to shape and mold clay into forms.

15. Pinching The maker uses the palm and fingers to press the clay outward. This is the most simple form of hand building.

16. Pinching Method

17. Stages of Clay • Wet • Contains water, workable, moldable. • Leather Hard • Has lost water, firm, slightly workable. • Bone Dry • Contains no moisture, hard yet brittle, ashy. • Fired • Hard, solid, non workable. • Glazed • Clay that has been fired twice and has glazed applied to seal it.

18. Finishing • Burnishing • Smoothing out the clay by rubbing the surface with a smooth object. (spoon, leather, wooden spoon) • Staining • Watered down natural materials applied to the clay to add color and create designs. (red iron oxide)

19. Firing • Bisque Fire • The clay pieces are placed into the kiln at the Bone Dry stage. They are heated slowly to a temperature of around 1500 degrees. • This hardens the pieces yet they are still porous. • Firing slowly reduces the chance of and explosion due to an air pocket, water, or thermal shock.

20. Electric Kiln

21. Firing • Primitive Pit Fire • Ancient cultures (Egyptians, Greeks, Native American Indians) dug pits in the earth and loaded the pieced along with wood, leaves, etc. They would light the materials on fire and hours later the only thing left would be the fired pottery pieces. • Many potters still use a kiln similar to the pit kiln. There are many variations that are used for different effects.

22. Pit Kiln*history of firing story

23. www.robertcomptonpottery.com Pit Fired Pottery Examples

24. Your first Assignment You will create a primitive pot using the hand-building pinching method. You will focus on proportion and even thickness for your bowl.

25. Your first Assignment…… • You will burnish your pot. • Burnish: to make shiny by rubbing; smoothing a surface using a tool or one’s hand. • You will add family history symbols to decorate your pot. • http://surnames.meaning-of-names.com/

26. The End Up Next…….Production Pottery

27. PotteryProduction Clay Pieces made to sell for a profit.

28. Production Pottery • Ancient Cultures made pottery as a means of storing food and water and preparing meals. • Some cultures used pottery as a way to preserve the remains of deceased people. • Pottery as and art form and use has been made and sold for many years. As early as the 1600’s cultures were producing and selling pieces at markets and gatherings.

29. Slab Method • Slab – a flat piece of clay that has been rolled out evenly. It can be cut, folded or wrapped around a shape. • Pieces made with the slab method: plates, mugs, vases, boxes, containers, cups.

34. What will you do? • You will produce two identical mugs. • The weight, shape, and size should be the same. • The designs and finishing can be different. • You will be required to calculate the total cost for each mug. • You will be required to price and sell your mug for a profit.

35. The catch……. • All proceeds will be deposited into the Pottery account to pay for the projects that you will make and keep throughout the semester. • By doing this, you avoid paying a class fee up front.

36. Calculating Cost • You must determine how much clay you used. • Weight your wet mug (s) • Clay averages .30 per pound • You must determine how much glazed was used. • Estimate how many ounces of glaze you used. • Glaze averages .72 per ounce

37. Calculating Cost • Electrical Use (Kiln) Kilowatts used x Hours used x cents per kw-hr. 110 kw x 11hr x .10 = 12.10 Bisque firing + Glaze Firing = Total Firing Cost 12.10 + 12.10 = 24.20 • Divide 24.20 by the number of pieces in the kiln to determine individual cost.

38. Calculating Cost • Cost Per Piece • Clay cost + glaze cost + Kiln cost = Final Cost • Profit Margin • Selling Price – final cost = Profit margin. • Ex. 12.00 – 5.33 = 6.67

39. What is Glaze? • a layer or coating of a vitreous substance which has been fired to fuse to a ceramic object to color, decorate, strengthen or waterproof it. • Adds color • Seals Clay • Makes it Useable for Food

42. PotteryPresent Clay Pieces made as an art form.

43. Functional Having or serving a utilitarian purpose. Utilitarian – usable; eating, cooking, storage, bookends, candle holder, etc. Sculptural Having no specific function other than visual pleasure. Sculpture is created as a visual art form to appeal to the senses and not necessarily used. Functional versus Sculptural

44. Coiling Method • The hand building technique where clay is rolled with the hands to create “snake-like” coils. These coils are then attached on top of one another to create a taller piece. • Coiling is an advance technique of pinching. They are often used together to create larger works in clay.

45. Coiling creates Texture • Texture • The way something feels. • Rough, soft, smooth, gritty, bumpy, etc. • Texture creates visual interest in clay pieces. • Texture enhances the viewers sense of feel.

46. Coiling (rolling)

47. Coiling (even consistency)

48. Coiling (attaching coils) EACH INDIVIDUAL COIL MUST BE SCORED AND SLIPPED

49. Coiling (smoothing inside)

50. Coiling (leveling the lip)