Marie Herwald Hermann

This study trip goes to Denmark, the southernmost of the three Scandinavian countries (Sweden and Norway are the other two). The title `MAKING WITH FIRE¿ alludes to the particular focus on art, architecture, and design based on clay, whether it be ceramics or architecture, traditional or contemporary, all of which there is ample evidence of in Denmark. The primary base will be the capital, Copenhagen, consistently ranked as one of the world's most livable cities. We will also venture to the western parts of Denmark as well as to Southern Sweden for further explorations of clay and brick in all its manifestations, experience the varied landscapes and cities of the region, and study how culture, climate, landscape, and resources inform art, architecture, and design¿on-site, in studios, in galleries, and in museums.

Highlights include the CLAY Museum in Middelfart, the brick cathedral in Ribe, one of the oldest towns in Scandinavia established in the 8th century, the renovated 13th-century brick Koldinghus Castle, the brand-new LEGO House in Billund by Danish architect Bjarke Ingels/BIG, filled with 25 million LEGO bricks and full of fun and exciting activities, and a visit to the equally new Hans Christian Andersen Museum in Odense (yes, the renowned author of fairy tales) by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma. On the itinerary is also a one-day visit to Southern Sweden and the stellar St. Petri Church by brick master architect, Sigurd Lewerentz, and the city of Lund, founded around the year 990. In addition a string of studio, gallery, and museum visits will help us dive into the art, architecture, and design of Denmark. We will be creative and have a lot of fun including playing with LEGO bricks and enjoying the very special Midsummer Evening festivities with singing and bonfires¿`MAKING WITH FIRE¿ as it were. You don¿t want to miss out on this study trip.

This course deconstructs and reconstructs ceramic processes and materials to discover crossovers between handmade and industrially produced ceramic objects. We investigate how ceramic objects infiltrate other artistic disciplines by exploring the methodologies and historical use of ceramics as raw material in sculptures, or as props in paintings, cinema, photography, and performance. This course takes account of the ways that ceramics exists beyond the arts, within in our everyday lives, as a way to bridge those histories into the work we make together in this course.
Readings will vary but typically include Postproduction by Nicolas Bourriaud, Schizogenesis: The Art of Rosemarie Trockel, and look at a selection of works from artists such as: Mark Manders, Theaster Gates, Robert Gober, Ladi Kwali, Rachel Harrison, Nicholas Cage, Heather Cassils, and Rosemarie Trockel, Julia Philipps, Sterling Ruby, Eva Zeisel, Ai Weiwei, Betty Woodman, Arlene Shechet, and Rebecca Warren.
Students will practice traditional and nontraditional methods of working with ceramics. Students can expect to work alone and in groups to create, destroy, mend, reconstruct, and reformulate all manner of ceramic objects.

This study trip goes to Denmark, the southernmost of the three Scandinavian countries (Sweden and Norway are the other two). The title `MAKING WITH FIRE¿ alludes to the particular focus on art, architecture, and design based on clay, whether it be ceramics or architecture, traditional or contemporary, all of which there is ample evidence of in Denmark. The primary base will be the capital, Copenhagen, consistently ranked as one of the world's most livable cities. We will also venture to the western parts of Denmark as well as to Southern Sweden for further explorations of clay and brick in all its manifestations, experience the varied landscapes and cities of the region, and study how culture, climate, landscape, and resources inform art, architecture, and design¿on-site, in studios, in galleries, and in museums.

Highlights include the CLAY Museum in Middelfart, the brick cathedral in Ribe, one of the oldest towns in Scandinavia established in the 8th century, the renovated 13th-century brick Koldinghus Castle, the brand-new LEGO House in Billund by Danish architect Bjarke Ingels/BIG, filled with 25 million LEGO bricks and full of fun and exciting activities, and a visit to the equally new Hans Christian Andersen Museum in Odense (yes, the renowned author of fairy tales) by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma. On the itinerary is also a one-day visit to Southern Sweden and the stellar St. Petri Church by brick master architect, Sigurd Lewerentz, and the city of Lund, founded around the year 990. In addition a string of studio, gallery, and museum visits will help us dive into the art, architecture, and design of Denmark. We will be creative and have a lot of fun including playing with LEGO bricks and enjoying the very special Midsummer Evening festivities with singing and bonfires¿`MAKING WITH FIRE¿ as it were. You don¿t want to miss out on this study trip.

This interdisciplinary studio seminar based in the ceramics department is designed for grad students interested in exploring the endless possibilities that clay offers as a material adapted into individual studio and research practices. The first portion of this class will be technically based to learn different modes of construction, mold making, as well as different glazing and firing techniques in ceramics. The second portion will be focused on independent projects, advising and critical discussions.

Readings will be a combination of history of ceramics, contemporary artist, and technical information. Some of the contemporary artists using clay within contemporary art practice we will study in this course include Cannupa Hanska Luger, Elizabeth Jaeger, Woody De Othello, and more. There will be discussions on the history of ceramics and how contemporary artists use clay in performance, sculpture, design, architecture, and print media.

Students should expect to produce a consistent body of work to be presented in a culminating course critique at the end of the session. Junior and Senior-level undergraduate students are welcome to enroll in this course and should email the instructor to seek authorization to register.

Taken every semester, the Graduate Projects courses allow students to focus in private sessions on the development of their work. Students register for 6 hours of Graduate Project credit in each semester of study.