Ceramics: Courses

This is a concentrated examination of ceramic construction and firing processes, clay and glaze materials, and use of equipment with an additional emphasis on mold making. Mold making and other hand processes will be used by students to broaden their skills and gain a more thorough understanding of material characteristics and processes, learn firing skills, and participate in a dialogue about theory and content. The course format includes weekly demonstrations and lectures while developing a body of personal work utilizing ceramic technology to produce vessels or sculpture. It is required that this, or another Materials and Processes course is taken before or concurrently with any other ceramics course.

This course is a concentrated examination of ceramic construction and firing processes, clay and glaze materials, and use of equipment including the wheel. This is essential as a fast track entry into competent and independent use of the department for students new to ceramics. Students broaden their skills and gain a more thorough understanding of material characteristics and processes, develop their firing skills, and participate in a dialogue about theory and content in ceramics. This course addresses both hand processes and throwing on the wheel. The course format includes weekly demonstrations and lectures while developing a body of personal work utilizing ceramic technology. It is required that this, or another Materials and Processes course is taken before or concurrently with any other ceramics course.

This course is a concentrated examination of ceramic construction and firing processes, clay and glaze materials, and use of equipment to produce ceramic sculpture. This is essential as a fast track entry into competent and independent use of the department for students new to ceramics. Students broaden their skills and gain a more thorough understanding of material characteristics and processes, develop their firing skills, and participate in a dialogue about theory and content specific to ceramic sculpture. The course format includes weekly demonstrations and lectures while developing a body of personal work utilizing ceramic technology. It is required that this, or another Materials and Processes course is taken before or concurrently with any other ceramics course.

This course is a concentrated examination of ceramic construction and firing processes, clay and glaze materials, and use of equipment to produce ceramic sculpture. This is essential as a fast track entry into competent and independent use of the department for students new to ceramics. Students broaden their skills and gain a more thorough understanding of material characteristics and processes, develop their firing skills, and participate in a dialogue about theory and content specific to ceramic sculpture. The course format includes weekly demonstrations and lectures while developing a body of personal work utilizing ceramic technology. It is required that this, or another Materials and Processes course is taken before or concurrently with any other ceramics course.

An introduction to ideas and materials for wheel technique to acquire a clear and critical understanding of containers and their functions. Lower firing temperatures offer the advanced student many options in color, glazes, and construction methods. Raku, slip-casting, mold-making, and nontraditional and post-firing approaches to the idea of a vessel are topics included in the aesthetic dialogue of the course.

This course combines multilevel throwing with the practice and understanding of firing ceramics. The firing processes cover low and high temperature and experiment with different methods of firing ceramic sculpture and vessels in gas reduction and oxidation, electric kilns and salt and saggar firing. Different approaches to kiln loading and several temperatures ramps, manual and computerized, are discussed and practiced. Thrown work is made and glazes and slips are used to address specific firing possibilities

Poetics of the figure. Shaping the boundaries between external reality and the inner self. Students explore and develop their interest in the figure, as character, poetics, fragment, representation, memory and narrative in their art practice. Historical and contemporary examples will be examined in lectures and discussions. The incorporation of found objects in the work as well as installation strategies will be encouraged. Demonstrations involving methods of construction, surface treatments and firing choices are available. Advanced students are invited to shape their own research.

This course introduces students to sculptural ideas executed in various ceramic hand construction techniques including slab, coil, press mold, etc. Students will explore how the unique physical characteristics of clay can contribute to the content of the work. Construction strategies will be examined in a conceptual context, investigating issues of space, technology, and architectural implication to build a dimensional perspective of personal and societal relevance. Emphasis will be on process, exploration, and discussion.

What are the concerns that drive one's creative practice? How does one set the terms for its future development? This course offers strategies for the evaluation and communication of students' individual practice as artists, designers and/or scholars. Through essential readings, studio projects, and writing, students will generate narratives about how and why they make art. To do so, they will investigate methods (visual, critical, written, and creative) for the reconsideration of their work and of its aims and priorities. Individual mentoring with the faculty member is a central and dedicated component of the class as a means of fostering the self-identification of goals and priorities. Students will also examine historical and contemporary precedents that relate to their own work in order to consider the ways in which their individual explorations can be brought into dialogue with other perspectives. Students participate in broad ranging discussions about the present status and future prospects of art and design through workshops, dialogues, and collaborations both in the class and in SAIC-wide conversations with other Sophomore Studio Seminars. An important function of this course is to build upon these insights in forming a practical plan that helps students effectively map the curriculum and resources of SAIC into their own needs. For more information see http://blogs.saic.edu/sophseminar/

This wheel throwing course is for intermediate and advanced students who have already been introduced to ideas and materials for wheel technique.

This introductory course takes students on a journey through the changing landscape of ceramics, design and production. Recent advances in prototyping technologies provide designers and artists with more direct means for transforming concepts into physical form. This shift in the relationship of the `one-off? to the `multiple? creates space for a high level of formal experimentation and material investigation. Students will acquire basic skills in mold making, slip casting, 3D digital modeling and digital output. Due to the high degree of technical learning required for the successful creation of prototypes, the studio projects will primarily be collaborative. At the end of this course students will have produced ceramic pieces derived from digital models and prototypes. Students enrolling for this course must have a laptop with 3D software (preferably sketch-up or rhino).

This course provides a forum for in-depth dialogue and exploration of students' individual work within the contemporary context of ceramics. Ceramic seminars may include topics such as discussions of contemporary issues, exhibits, professional practice, or specific techniques and directions. The class meets regularly for lectures, visiting artists, or field trips.

This course introduces students to sculptural ideas executed in various ceramic hand construction techniques including slab, coil, press mold, etc. Students will explore how the unique physical characteristics of clay can contribute to the content of the work. Construction strategies will be examined in a conceptual context, investigating issues of space, technology, and architectural implication to build a dimensional perspective of personal and societal relevance. Emphasis will be on process, exploration, and discussion.

This is a concentrated examination of ceramic construction and firing processes, clay and glaze materials, and use of equipment with an additional emphasis on mold making. Mold making and other hand processes will be used by students to broaden their skills and gain a more thorough understanding of material characteristics and processes, learn firing skills, and participate in a dialogue about theory and content. The course format includes weekly demonstrations and lectures while developing a body of personal work utilizing ceramic technology to produce vessels or sculpture. It is required that this, or another Materials and Processes course is taken before or concurrently with any other ceramics course.

An introduction to ideas and materials for wheel technique to acquire a clear and critical understanding of containers and their functions. Lower firing temperatures offer the advanced student many options in color, glazes, and construction methods. Raku, slip-casting, mold-making, and nontraditional and post-firing approaches to the idea of a vessel are topics included in the aesthetic dialogue of the course.

This is a concentrated examination of ceramic construction and firing processes, clay and glaze materials, and use of equipment with an additional emphasis on mold making. Mold making and other hand processes will be used by students to broaden their skills and gain a more thorough understanding of material characteristics and processes, learn firing skills, and participate in a dialogue about theory and content. The course format includes weekly demonstrations and lectures while developing a body of personal work utilizing ceramic technology to produce vessels or sculpture. It is required that this, or another Materials and Processes course is taken before or concurrently with any other ceramics course.

This course is a concentrated examination of ceramic construction and firing processes, clay and glaze materials, and use of equipment including the wheel. This is essential as a fast track entry into competent and independent use of the department for students new to ceramics. Students broaden their skills and gain a more thorough understanding of material characteristics and processes, develop their firing skills, and participate in a dialogue about theory and content in ceramics. This course addresses both hand processes and throwing on the wheel. The course format includes weekly demonstrations and lectures while developing a body of personal work utilizing ceramic technology. It is required that this, or another Materials and Processes course is taken before or concurrently with any other ceramics course.

This course is a concentrated examination of ceramic construction and firing processes, clay and glaze materials, and use of equipment to produce ceramic sculpture. This is essential as a fast track entry into competent and independent use of the department for students new to ceramics. Students broaden their skills and gain a more thorough understanding of material characteristics and processes, develop their firing skills, and participate in a dialogue about theory and content specific to ceramic sculpture. The course format includes weekly demonstrations and lectures while developing a body of personal work utilizing ceramic technology. It is required that this, or another Materials and Processes course is taken before or concurrently with any other ceramics course.

This course is a concentrated examination of ceramic construction and firing processes, clay and glaze materials, and use of equipment to produce ceramic sculpture. This is essential as a fast track entry into competent and independent use of the department for students new to ceramics. Students broaden their skills and gain a more thorough understanding of material characteristics and processes, develop their firing skills, and participate in a dialogue about theory and content specific to ceramic sculpture. The course format includes weekly demonstrations and lectures while developing a body of personal work utilizing ceramic technology. It is required that this, or another Materials and Processes course is taken before or concurrently with any other ceramics course.

Students are introduced to ideas and materials for wheel technique in order to acquire a clear and critical understanding of containers and their functions. Students taking this course on the intermediate and advanced level continue individual development in all areas of high fire ceramics, including investigations of firing clay and glaze possibilities. Course discussion focuses on using the functional vessel as a point of departure.

This multilevel class is for students with or without experience in wheel throwing. Beginning students are introduced to ideas, materials and techniques for throwing vessels. They acquire the necessary skills to construct and analyze a wide range of vessel forms. Intermediate and advanced students continue their individual development of throwing, glazing and firing kilns. Students work with earthenware, stoneware, porcelain, and salt-glazing. Course discussions focus on issues around the vessel to acquire critical understanding of containers and their functions, as well as using the wheel as a means for constructing sculptural forms.

The rich and unique possibilities of color on ceramics are investigated through the experimentation and manipulation of ceramic materials, glazes and firings. The class is ideal for students from various disciplines, (e.g., painting, sculpture, designed objects. ceramics) interested in the impact of the visual, or those searching for new art venues in which aesthetic awareness and material manipulation is a practice and an intellectual investigation. A basic knowledge of ceramics is desirable but not mandatory.

This laboratory course will focus on the development of forms and practices used in the production of functional and utilitarian objects. Decorative accessories will also be addressed within slip casting processes. We?ll unpack the history and uses of this dynamic industrial process and consider how it is used today by both artists and industry. Utilizing existing platforms for model production will be addressed in addition to consideration of developing new systems for slip casting production will be foundational to this course. Class authorization of both Laser Cutting and general Wood Shop use will be mandatory.

This class will explore both traditional and non-traditional approaches to firing and using clay to explore the topics of humor, exaggeration and perception. Historical references such as 1960s California Funk Ceramics, High Victorian Rococo, as well as more contemporary approaches to clay will serve as starting points for sculptural, installation and performative projects.

The class is a laboratory emphasizing fluidity across material, methods, and investigation encouraging physical and intellectual energy in the classroom. Claiming intuition as a partner, a series of goals will maintain the ceramic process. Students will pursue precision an a critical language through a process that suspends judgement. The ceramic process and its historical myths will be analyzed to expose their hidden potentials in an effort to arrive at alternatives and unexpected results.

This class is designed to explore our perception and understanding of diminutive, poetic, intimate, fantastic, fetishistic and body objects. The potential and significance of the intimate and small-scale object will be explored. Tools and methods of construction will be introduced allowing the student to investigate various clays, surface treatments and types of firing. Students are free to work sculpturally, figuratively, with the vessel or a combination of other formal strategies appropriate to their interests and personal investigation. Installation strategies will be discussed with opportunities to explore various presentation possibilities. Combining ceramic objects with found objects and otherwise non- ceramic materials will be an important component of the class. Lectures will address the subject historically and within contemporary art.

This studio course fosters a professional development of ideas and concepts concerning technical information on glazes.

This advanced course in casting and mold-making expands the idea of tiles as multiples in modular systems, interlocking structures, large scale installations, walls, and enclosures. Students explore tile/multiple possibilities, decorative and sculptural, as well as touch upon specific aspects of architectural and structural components, including forming, durability, shrinkage justification, and installation techniques.

This course offers advanced students a forum for critiques and discussion of contemporary ceramic directions. Emphasis is placed on individual development through complex integration of technology and information. Field trips and artists' studio tours provide a format for extensive dialogue. Students with a studio in the department are highly encouraged to enroll in this class.