ART 240 Introduction to Ceramics
Spring 2003
Monday and Wednesday, 12:30-2:50
3 credit hours. Course prerequisite: none
Instructor: Mark Gordon
Office hours: Tuesday and Thursday 10:50-2:50; Friday,
9:00-11:00, or by appointment
Telephone: 399-6474
e-mail: mgordon@barton.edu
Recommended Texts:
The Craft and Art of Clay, Peterson, Prentice Hall
Hands in Clay, Speight and Toki, Mayfield
Ceramics: A Potter’s Handbook, Nelson and Burkett, Wadsworth/Thompson
Course description
This course is an introduction to the forming and
finishing processes of ceramics, including
wheelthrowing, handbuilding, and firing techniques.
Claywork is treated as traditional craft and as
contemporary art.
Course objectives
Students will
1. Learn the vocabulary of the ceramic process
2. Know the possibilities of ceramic materials and
techniques
3. Develop skills in handbuilding and wheelthrowing
4. Understand glazing and firing methods
5. Make aesthetic decisions
Materials and tools
Students must purchase a bound sketchbook. A set of
pottery hand tools can be purchased at the Barton
Bookstore, The Hobby Shop, and Michael’s Art Supply.
The $40 lab fee covers materials and firing costs for
all studio projects and independent work. Lab fees
are to be paid at the Office of the Vice President for
Academic Affairs before February 14.
Attendance Policy: Students are expected to be in
attendance and on time. Refer to the school
attendance policy in the Barton College general
catalog. More than two absences will lower the final
grade. A student is considered late for class if
he/she arrives late or leaves prior to the class
ending time. Two tardies is considered equivalent to
an absence.
Students with a diagnosed disability must speak with
the instructor at the beginning of the term about any
special needs or equipment necessary to accomplish the requirements for this course. To receive appropriate accomodations, any student whose disability falls within ADA must meet with the coordinator of the Academic Enrichment Center.
Studio safety: Your safety and the safety of others is
the top priority when you are working with tools.
Follow all studio safety policies both in class and
during non-class work time.
The effort you invest in a project will directly
affect the level of craftsmanship you achieve as well
as the development of your art concepts. The Ceramics
studio is open daily until midnight, including
weekends.
Critiques are held on project due dates. The purpose
of a critique is to develop the intellectual tools of
aesthetic analysis, discuss technical points, and
share individual responses to freshly-created artwork.
Each class member is expected to participate in these discussions of student projects.
Late assignments: Each student is responsible for
turning in any assignments or projects missed due to
absence. Except in the case of valid prior
arrangement, late assignments will receive a 20% grade reduction per class day.
Major Areas of Study--Course Outline
The nature of a studio art course requires that some
degree of flexibility needs to be maintained. Changes
to this outline may be made with appropriate notice
and efforts to communicate such changes.
Studio projects will each have a posted set of
guidelines.
January 22:
Discussion of syllabus, course requirements, and
grading. Semester goals outlined. Tour of studio:
equipment, materials, safety procedures. Raku firing.
January 27 & 29:
January 27: Chambered Pinchpot due--start of class.
Wedging. Claymixing.
Introduction to slabs: tossed, rolled, cut, extruded,
and baker-style.
February 3 & 5: Explanation of firing processes.
February 3: 3-Branched Braided Coil project due.
Introduction to extruder and slabroller. Begin
wheelthrowing.
February 10 & 12: Clay geology and
micro-plate-tectonics: “How does plasticity work?”
February 10: Slab Box project due.
Wheelthrowing practice. Wedging review.
February 17 & 19: Slaking, Spalling, and Exothermic
reactions: Introduction to Plaster.
Introduction: Carving and Plaster Sprigging
February 24 & 26*:
February 24, start of class: wedging test, 12 lbs.
February 24: Carved Moving Parts project due.
February 26: Meet in Library. 20 pages of research
from the Internet are due at the end of class.
March 3 & 5: Wheelthrown cylinders
March 3: Internet-based research presentations due.
March 3: First sketchbook due. Requirements: 30
single-sided pages. Include reflections for each
studio project to date, plus observations of your
beginning wheelthrowing.
March 10 & 12: Glaze mixing: theory and practice
March 10: Wheelthrown Cylinder project due
March 17 & 19: Spring Break
March 24 & 26: Pyrometric cones, clay geology.
March 31 & April 2: Principles of clay testing:
color, plasticity, shrinkage, absorption.
March 31: Architectonic project due
April 7 & 9: Calipers and Lids
* Saturday, April 12: Senior Show Opening, 7:00-9:00
p.m.
April 14 & 16:
April 14: Covered Jar project due.
April 21 & 23: Kiln loading: principles and practice.
Kiln wash formulas, wadding, kiln furniture
composition.
*Monday and Tuesday, April 28 and 29: Senior artist
talks in the gallery from 3:00-5:30
April 28 & 30:
April 28: Double Homage project due.
Last date for new claywork: April 30.
May 5 & 7:
Firing, glazing, finishing. Studio clean-up.
Second Sketchbook due May 5, start of class.
May 14: Meet from 8:00-10:00 a.m. for written final
exam.
Summary of Project Due Dates:
January 27, Chambered Pinch Pot
February 3, Branched Braided Coils
February 10, Slab Box
February 24, Carved Moving Parts
March 10, Wheelthrown Cylinders
March 31, Architectonic
April 14, Covered Jar
April 28, Double Homage
Last day to drop the course is Tuesday, February 26.
Final exam date is Wednesday, May 14, 8:00-10:00 .
Evaluation
Studio projects are evaluated on effort, technique, presentation, and expression.
Studio hours: one point per 10 hours outside of class
time. (50 total hours=5 points; 30 hours=3 points,
etc.) Extra credit is available: 1 point per 10 hours
over 50.
A sign-up list is posted. Note: Studio clean-up time
outside of class counts for double studio hours.
The wedging test will be given in class on Monday,
February 24.
A sketchbook 8x11” or larger, is required for class
lecture notes, technical information, vocabulary,
ceramic project ideas, short artist biographies,
reflections, and your own artist’s statement for each
project. Fill each sketched page with one well-worked
image or various smaller images. In order to achieve
an excellent sketchbook, you need to fill all pages
completely, incorporate detail, and include extensive
written notes. Sketches are to be done primarily in
pencil. Two sketchbook due dates are March 3 and May
5.
The Internet research is a 4-minute presentation
focusing on one piece of historical ceramics,
exploring its historical context, the techniques
employed, and the object’s significance in ritual,
commerce, or home life. 5 Internet sources are
required; these must be printed out. The presentation
must be stored on disc or CD and handed in for full
credit. PowerPoint, HyperStudio, or bookmarked web
links may be used.
The Final exam includes multiple choice, true/false,
slide identification, constructed response, and short
essay.
Final Grade
Studio projects: 65
Sketchbooks: 10
Final exam: 10
Wedging test: 5
Studio hours: 5
Internet research presentation: 5
100%
A: exemplary, outstanding, excellent
B: above-average
C: average
D: below-average, barely acceptable work
F: unsatisfactory, unacceptable work
A 100-94 C 77-74
A- 93-90 C- 73-70
B+ 88-89 D+ 68-69
B 87-84 D 67-64
B- 83-80 D- 63-60
C+ 79-78 F Below 60
Art Department civility policy
Civility in the classroom is essential to create a
positive learning environment and is defined as
“politeness” and “courtesy.” Practicing civility
helps individuals develop lifelong skills necessary to
become effective and successful members of society.
Examples of incivility:
Habitual tardies
Lack of concern for the rights and feelings of others
Engaging in side conversations during a presentation
or lecture
Leaving class early for non-emergency reasons
Using language likely to offend
Supplies needed for Art 240
Work clothes or lab coat or smock
Clayworking tools
Old towel for use while wheelthrowing
Small bucket or plastic dish; sponge
Brushes for glazing and underglaze decoration
Cheap work gloves and hand cream
Research: Suggested Web Resources
ceramicsculpture.com contemporary clay artists;
has webcam, too
ncpotterycenter.com NC Pottery Center; good to
find other links, too
ceramicsmonthly.com image bank,”Ceramics Monthly”
articles
claytimes.com magazine articles on contemporary
potters
potterymaking.org supplemental “how-to” guides
ncclay.com virtual tour of contemporary NC
ceramic artists
users.vvi.net/potter/ Regional potters of NC’s
Catawba Valley
ceramicart.com.au Magazine “Ceramics: Art and
Perception”
nceca.org National Council on Education in the
Ceramic Arts
aam-us.org American Association of Museums
artednet.getty.edu Getty Foundation
nchistory.cdr.state.nc.us/museums/ed_pttry.htm
State Guidelines for Public School Pottery
dpi.state.nc.us NC NC Department of Public
Instruction
neh.fed.us National Endowment for the
Humanities
nea.gov National Endowment for the Arts
metmuseum.org Metropolitan Museum of Art
naea-reston.org National Art Education
Association
si.edu Smithsonian Institution
icaf.org ICAF, visual learning with a global
emphasis
metalab.unc.edu/wm/paint/auth France’s museum
collections
museum.suite.dk Virtual tours of museum pieces
comptons.com/encyclopedia/ Compton’s encyclopedia
online
nga.gov National Gallery of Art
kyohaku.go.jp Kyoto National Museum of Japan
mmfa.qc.ca/lundi/a-cyber-lundi.html Montreal Museum
of Fine Arts
artsafari.moma.org Inquiry-format game, Museum of
Modern Art
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