| Ceramics I, Art 215 |
|
Instructor:
Jim Hill
Office:
FH 200
Office
Hours: M,T,W,R 9-11 am
Recommended
Text: Art & Craft of Clay, Susan
Peterson
Required
Reading:Health & Safety, Procedural methods & shop regulations
that
are posted in the lab
Suggested
Readings: Potters
Manual, Kenneth Clark
The Complete Book of Ceramic Art, Rothenberg
(library
reserve)
Ceramics Monthly Magazine
Ceramic Books by Glenn Nelson
Ceramic Books by Daniel Rhodes
The Complete Potters Companion, Birks
Disability
Accommodation Policy:
To
request academic accommodations for a disability, contact Barry
King
Nondiscrimination
Policy:
Salisbury
University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action
institution,
and maintains a grievance procedure incorporating due
process
available to any person who believes he or she has been
discriminated
against. At all times, it is your
right to address
inquiries
or concerns about possible discrimination.
Academic
Integrity Policy:
All
members of the University community share the responsibility
and
authority to challenge and make known acts of apparent
academic
dishonesty. Any student detected
participating in any
form
of academic dishonesty in this course will be subjects to
sanctions.
Purpose
of the course:
This
course will be an experiential investigation of the ceramic
medium.
Students will be directly involved in a hands-on fashion
creating
clay art objects using both wheel
throwing and
handbuilding.
A variety of kiln firings will be used as will several
types
of glazes and finishes, including bisque, raku, stoneware and
paperclay.
The breadth and depth of this course will assist the
student
in gaining technincal and aesthetic following knowledge and
information
in:
1.
A basic understanding of clay materials, glaze materials and
appropriate
techniques in constructing three-dimensional art
objects.
This will include wheel throwing pottery forms and
handbuilding
sculptural forms. Wheel work will
not be started
until
student masters hand building techniques.
2.
Knowledge of and experience with loading and firing ceramic
kilns
of various sorts.
3.
Investigating personal expression and the basic formal
elements
of three dimensional art.
4.
Ability to expand critical thinking, problem solving, quality
control
and craftsmanship in ones own creative work.
5.
Exposure to contemporary and historical works of ceramic art
and
ceramic artists through slides, videos, visiting gallery
exhibitions
and possibly visiting artist workshops.
Meeting
times four hours of formal class time as scheduled. An additional
two
hours per week of lab hours will be required.
Once monitor hours are
established
, students will be expected to attend the open lab hours and
sign
in on the sheet provided. This is
the minimum number of hours more
time
may be necessary at times in order to successfully complete the
assigned
work. Students should arrive to
class on time and are expected
to
stay for the duration of the class.
Determining
the grade:
1.
Attendance is essential; excessive absenteeism more than three
absences
will affect the quality of your work and thus, your final
grade.
2.Completion
of assignments by due dates.
3.Quality/success
of completed projects as they relate to
assignedproblems.
You should show strong involvement in your
work,
awillingness to investigate the issues in the assigned
problems,
Each completed project will be assigned a numerical
/letter
grade based on the relative success or failure of that piece.
The
accumulated score for the completed artwork will make up the
largest
and most important portion of the semester's grade. You
will
receive a midterm assessment to help determine your standing
early
on and you may ask at any time about your grade and what you
might
do to improve it. Remember: an
"A" = excellent work, a "B" =
good,
a "C" = average work, a "D" = below average work and an
"F" =
failing
work. Final grades are determined
by the finished work
although
tentative grades will be recorded to inform you about your
progress.
4.Participation
in studio activities: Many of these activities are
required
such as clay mixing, kiln stacking and unloading, cleanup
and
involvement in class critiques and discussions. Others will
enhance
your time in this course such as attending workshops by
visiting
artists, art exhibitions, doing extra studio work throughout
the
semester. Extra effort will not go
unnoticed. Studio upkeep,
clay
mixing and kiln loading/firing requirements will be posted in
the
lab. You must sign up for times and
be graded by the shop tech
for
these requirements; These activities will amount to 6% of your
grade.
5.Periodic quizzes from text, lectures and demos, and this
syllabus
may be given.
Writing
to learn:
Writing
assignments will be given in conjunction with evaluation of
projects
and devlopment of images.
Course
Costs:
1.
Lab fee:You fee will supply two boxes of clay, which you pick up
at
the bookstore. Additional purchases
of supplies will be necessary
depending
upon each student's production. You
may also recycle clay
by
mixing dry clay with your "educated clay" It will be better clay
for
throwing on the wheel.
2.
Pottery Tool Kit:This is a required item and should be purchased
the
first week of class! Buy it at the SU bookstore. Also buy small
and
medium bamboo brushes; they will be required.
3.
Additional tools: Bring these from home or from the hardware
store;
the cost for these items will be minimal and most could be
scrounged
from the garage or basement for free. Metal
fork, butter
knife,
2-3 different brushes, apron, jump suit, overalls or old
clothes
that can get mud on them! Also
bring plastic trash bags,
water
spritzer, an old towel or tow. You
may be asked to bring other
items
according to the needs of the assignments.
Since
we are basically using mud, this studio can become very
messy
very quickly. You will be
responsible for cleaning up you
mess
as this will make the room a bit nicer to be working in. The
studio
equipment is very expensive and must be used with care as
shown
in class demos. The prospects for
funding to buy new
equipment
is not good so we must use good old TLC. Required
shop
assistance will be posted in the ceramics studio and sign up
sheets
will be checked by shop tech. This
participation will
determine
6% of your grade.
Assignment
Schedule:
Assignments
will be hand building and introductory wheel throwing.
Both
pottery and non-vessels will be made. The
following schedule
offers
a tentative schedule that should encourage you to work hard early
in
the semester because the last three weeks must be devoted to
completing
works in progress. Tentative grades
will be given incase
something
gets broken and to let you know how you are doing, but final
grades
will be determined by review of all
work at end of semester and
in
comparison to others's work in the class.
Week
1 pinch bowl demonstration: six pinch bowls and 3
vessel/objects
completed
Week2.
Coil pot at least 16-18 inches tall
Week
3Slab construction demo: two
vessel/forms to be completed
(draped
platters, slumped bowls or constructed vases)
Week
4Make a narrative story in clay that depicts or symbolizes a
special
moment in your life.
Week5.
Raku glaze and fire Week one's work
Week6.Using
any or all of the hand building techniques, build a tea pot
that
is both functional and emulates either contemporary or
traditional
style. Do some research to find
examples!
Week7
Grade hand built assignments & continue working on narrative
story
and Introduce wheel thrown assignments. Mid term grade
determined.
Week
8Glaze and decoration demonstrations; no glaze on bottom of
pots
and 1/4 inch up from the table top; wheel work 7"
cylinders
before bowls.
Weeks
9-13develop techniques of wheel throwing, glazing and
decorating
Weeks:
14, 15 & 16
No
new clay work can be started! The
rest of the semester requires
loading
kilns, firing, glazing, and refiring in order to complete all of
the
work.
Firing
work will begin as soon as assignment are dry.
Glaze firing
through
out the semester allows you to see results and make adjustments
before
the end of the semester.