Slabs..... and stuff made from slabs.
Over View:
In this assignment you will be workin with one of the basic and fundamental ways to work with clay, slabs. Slabs are a basic method of taking clay and shaping it into flat sheets of clay and then using those sheets of clay to build with. As you may know clay can be used in various stages of hardness, or wetness depending on the perspective you look at things from. In this project you will use slabs in varied levels of moisture (soft and hard slabs) to execute the sculptural project. It's important to keep in mind that slabs are going to be the mode of operation in this assignment. All work must be made for slabs, no coiled or pinched forms. You may refine your slabs, but all formal shapes and objects must begin from slabs.
The Project:
Each student will be tasked with creating 3 small scale sculptures. These sculpture should be an opportunity to explore composition and slab methodology. Sculpture made should be nonrepresentaional (not a person, place or thing, but rather a collection of form and shapes) and explore how formal elements come together to create visually stimulating compositions. In this project we will discuss basic elements of design such as background, foreground, rhythm, negative and positive space. These basic elements of design will be the foundations for the sculptures produced. Students are encouraged to explore possibilities, take risks in composition and seek out inspirations. Art is not created in a vacuum but rather a response to something. Seek out elements in the world you can respond to.
Requirements:
3 ceramic sculptures
Each sculpture should be between 5-8" in height
Slabs are to be the only means of production
Students should incorporate into each of the 3 sculpture elements of both hard and soft slabs
Students must design sculptures that are in a vertical format (tall rather than wide)
Each sculpture must be glazed
Students must include the mentioned elements of design into their sculptures
1 must be Symmetrical
1 must be Asymmetrical
1 must incorporate background and foreground elements
Areas of Focus:
Students should focus on the discussed elements of design in their sculptures.
Students should focus on compositional design using nonrepresentational elements
Students should pay attention to the way clay behaves when wet and soft as well as how it behaves when dry and stiff.
Goals:
Learn basic fundamentals of design and how to utilize them in the production of ceramic sculptures.
Gain a beginning level understanding of how to produce slabs using studio equipment as well as by hand.
Learn to manage ceramic slabs in various states of moisture (hard and soft slab construction).
Learn how to manage the drying and storage of ceramic works while in production.
Gain a foundational understanding of glaze and glaze application.
Resources:
I strongly suggest you look for inspiration and see whats our there that you can respond to, take over, repurpose, borrow from, and plain old fashioned simply take and make your own. Research and searching for inspiration is essential in developing your abilities to both think of ideas and create them in reality. Do yourself a huge favor and see whats our these for you to respond to.
Ron Nagle
Ruth Duckworth
Anabeth Rosen
John Mason
Design Elements:
Rythym.
Rhythm in design refers to interval-repeating elements. An agreed elements location creates a sound structure. Rhythm can unite, direct, highlight and set the dynamics. There is a repetition of shape, color, tone, texture, accents, direction and dynamic.
Background.
Backgrounds are the foundation of a successful composition. Background elements help to create depth and contrast, allowing elements to stand out and get noticed. Well-composed backgrounds can help create space for you to overlay objects and elements of your sculpture.
Foreground.
The element of the composition closest to you makes up the foreground. The furthest element away from you is the background, while the middle ground makes up the area in between.
Symmetry.
Symmetry is when elements are arranged in the same way on both sides of an axis.
Negative space.
Negative space in sculpture refers to the space around the piece, or to openings within the piece that emphasize the form.
Positive Space.
Positive Space is essentially the action in your art, or the subject matter, or the sculpture itself.
Asymmetry.
Asymmetry is the absence of symmetry of any kind. Whenever we make a design that consists of elements that we've distributed unevenly around a central point or axis, we'll consequently have an asymmetrical design
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Visuals
