Mark N. Stafford

This class is an introduction to clay and technology unique to ceramics. This class is recommended for first year students. In this class we will begin to bring technology and clay together. This class will give you the fundamentals to continue your investigations into printing with clay. There is no required experience in 3d modeling to take this course. In this class objects will be created using Rhino from its commands such as Repeat, Rotation, Spin, Revolve, Round, Unroll, Unfold, Open, Line.. These pieces created virtually will be translated to reality via the Potterbot at SAIC in the Ceramics department. We will also look at rudimentary ways that we can be inventive and mimic the 3d printer at home with basic materials to create objects. We will look at artists working both in traditional and non-traditional methods. Discussion about the virtual and physical space will be a topic that will be discussed and how to negotiate that space as an artist. Artists will include but are not limited to: Tom Lauerman, Michael Eden, Stacy Jo Scott, Brian Boldon, Oliver Van Herpt, Slip Rabbit Studio, UNFOLD, Jonathan Keep. We will have weekly reading and articles covering topics related to ceramics and the digital, the history of the vessel and how the digital is seen in the contemporary art and design arena. Specific authors may be Jenni Sorkin, Okakura Kakuzo and Edmund de Waal.

A study of human anatomy for artists and representational figurative sculpting in clay, covering important and widely transferable formal principles and technical methods. In addition to traditional on-armature and handbuilding techniques, interested students will have access to ZBrush and may use it to produce maquettes and custom armatures through 3d printing and laser cutting. Qualified students may also have access to the Potterbot ceramic 3D printer for experimental use.

Readings, guides, and other reference materials will include excerpts from: Edouard Lanteri?s Modelling and Sculpting the Human Figure, Stephen Rogers Peck?s Atlas of Human Anatomy for the Artist, and Uldis Zarins? Anatomy for Sculptors: Understanding the Human Figure.

The course will be divided into three sections, the first two of which will involve the study of anatomy and sculptural technique. We will start with the bust (portraiture is optional), then move to the figure with scale studies of the torso, arms, and legs. Finally, students will have the opportunity to pursue a figurative project of their own design. Options for this project may include, but are not limited to: life-size or larger figures built in parts, figure groupings, formal and/or expressive figurative stylizations, and experimentation with the Potterbot ceramic 3D printer.

A survey of digital design, prototyping, and production methods, this course will familiarize students with the many ways artists and designers use digital technologies to facilitate traditional ceramic practices. Students will be introduced to basic CAD and modeling techniques using Rhino, Grasshopper, Blender, and ZBrush, and to both direct and indirect ceramic production methods using the PotterBot ceramic 3-D printer, AOC 3D scanners, and CDFS laser cutters & 3D printers. The emphasis is not on mastery of any particular program or process, but on introducing students to a wide range of techniques and concepts that they may fruitfully pursue in future work.

In addition, students will gain familiarity with the contemporary field of digital production, including current design and manufacturing technologies and the technical, formal, and conceptual uses to which they are put. Artists covered include Matthew Angelo Harrison, Jenny Sabin, Geoffrey Mann, Michael Eden, and Anya Gallaccio.

The course will be divided into three sections and will include four preliminary exercises and two projects. The first project focuses on direct digital production and will illustrate the mechanical and operational use of the Potterbot ceramic 3D printer. The second project will transition from direct to indirect production methods, from the acquisition of digital methods to their application, and on the incorporation of digital methods into students? established or developing practice.

In this Professional Practice class, students will engage in a wide variety of practical activities to help prepare for life after SAIC. These include the development of essential professional materials (statement, CV, bio, work documentation), creating or refining a website, delivering an artist talk, and writing a grant or project proposal. Beyond these tangible pursuits, we will discuss the pragmatic realities of life as a practicing artist, explore possible professions and transferable skills, and consider how self-evaluation, prioritization, and strategic planning can help us achieve the often difficult balance between artistic production and professional development activities (while hopefully still having time for a fulfilling personal life). Readings will include excerpts from Vicki Krohn Amorose's Art-Write, Jackie Battenfield's The Artist's Guide, Heather Darcy Bhandari & Jonathan Melber's Art/Work, Peter Cobb's The Profitable Artist, Gigi Rosenberg's The Artist's Guide to Grant Writing, Sharon Louden's The Artist as Culture Producer, DonThompson's The $12 Million Stuffed Shark, and Peter Nesbett, Sarah Andress, & Shelly Bancroft's Letters to a Young Artist.