ART 225B Ceramics I
Instructor: Brock Rumohr Tuesdays 6:00-9:35 p.m.
HAC 104
Office Hours: Tues. 5:00-6:00 p. m. in the ceramics studio by appointment.
E-mail [email protected]
Introduction:
This class will include introductory information about ceramics. We will be discussing the various properties of clay and the materials associated with ceramics to gain a fundamental understanding of the technical challenges associated with working in this medium. We will be viewing ceramic work through actual pieces, textbooks, and slide lectures to expose you to the wide breadth of visual information that is available to you for your research. Our course will focus primarily on various hand building techniques such as pinch, coil, slab, and the creation of basic forms through the use of molds (both plaster and bisque).
We will investigate the construction and use of hand tools and the surfaces that can be achieved through their use. We will also be employing various types of firing processes to gain insight into the technical challenges and aesthetic differences inherent in these processes. These processes may include, but are not limited to pit firing, electric firing, and gas reduction firing You will be briefly introduced to the potter’s wheel towards the end of the course. This course is also a Liberal Studies
Program class and fulfills General Education Learning outcome number seven, “Understanding of the fine arts in order to develop aesthetic awareness, creativity and respect for artistic endeavors.”
Objectives:
1) Students will learn and practice a variety of forming processes with clay including pinching, slab, coiling, throwing on the wheel, using hump and slump molds, and combinations of these.
2) Students will learn various techniques to enhance forms through explorations into texturing by using tools, additive processes, and reductive processes.
3) Students will learn how to use slips, engobes, oxide washes, stains, and glazes to complete forms and use these materials to amplify the communicative power in their clay forms.
4) Students will be exposed to a variety of firing temperatures and firing processes to gain an understanding of the myriad effects that pit firing, electric oxidation firing, and reduction firing can offer an artist. Temperatures will include cones 012, 04, 6, and 10 to address a complete firing range.
5) Students will explore vessel and sculptural ceramics through actual works and slide lectures and will be involved in group discussions of the meaning of materials, symbolism, and metaphor.
6) Students will be involved in large and small group projects throughout the semester.
7) Students will continue to develop an art / ceramics vocabulary and implement it within the contexts of class critiques and informal discussion of artwork and ideas.
8) Students will develop the ability to constructively criticize their own work as well as the work of others through oral and written assignments, as well as a formal presentation.
Liberal Studies Program Goals:
1) Writing-Students will write a research paper, a critique of their own work, a critique of the work of their peers, and semester goals.
2) Oral Communications- Students will perform a formal oral presentation; will participate in group critiques, class discussions, discussions with visiting artists, and verbal individual critiques with the instructor.
3) Technology- Students will learn and implement knowledge about pyrometers, kiln
programming, and firing cycles, as well as be required to reference two internet sources for their research paper.
4) Critical Thinking-Students will be involved in the exploration of various topics that will require linear and abstract thought processes. Topics may include art as metaphor, function in ceramics,
ceramics as a communicative tool or vehicle, and the implications of aesthetic value.
5) Contemporary Relevance- Through large and small group discussions, examination of art works, and slide lectures of contemporary ceramic work and ceramics history, students will gain insight into the medium and its current place in our culture as well as other cultures around the world.
Assignments-
Assignments will be communicated to the students in class and will involve demonstrations of techniques. Due dates, additional elements of the assignment and resources for inspiration will be communicated to the class at that time. The instructor reserves the right to modify due dates at his discretion to facilitate the needs of the class. You will need to work a great deal on your own time to accomplish the goals of this course.
*Course Materials:
You must be prepared to have the following items on the second day of class:
1) Various towels to clean hands.
2) Small MISTING spray bottle (not squirting).
3) Sketchbook (8 “x 10”) drawing pencils / pens.
4) Shur Form Tools (one small, one large) (Local hardware store) 5) Three ring binder with ten clear plastic sheets
.
Attendance:
You are expected to be on time every day of this course. You are expected to stay until the end of class every day of this course. You are allowed two unexcused absences. Every unexcused absence after that will result in your final grade being dropped one letter grade. Slide lectures, lectures, and
demonstrations will not be repeated unless there is a valid emergency that has caused you to be absent.
Every day here is important. Arriving late to class or leaving early without notifying the instructor with a valid reason will be documented. Accumulation of three late arrivals and/ or occasions of early departure will result in your final grade being dropped by one letter. Arriving more than five minutes after the class begins constitutes being late. Leaving any time before class is dismissed constitutes early departure.
Class Expectations:
The ways in which this community operates is largely up to you. This course can be a great experience for everyone if we decide that it will be that way. I have some guidelines that I expect everyone to abide by.
-Be On Time - it sets the tone every day.
- Work Hard - this includes not only the physical act of making, but of researching out of class, listening carefully, and thinking critically about the concepts and techniques discussed in class.
-Use Your Classmates- be open to communicating with your fellow students about each other’s work and ideas. You all have unique experiences and insights that can be of significance to others here.
-Be Thoughtfully Critical- when talking about other people’s work be honest about what its strengths and weaknesses are. Being untruthful in an effort to not hurt someone’s feelings will not help them see their own work critically and grow.
-Participate- You are expected to be involved in class discussions and critiques. Talking about your work and the work of others is a part of the whole process.
-Clean Up-Please clean up your work area and keep the studio clean at all times. It is extremely rude and can be dangerous to leave messes in this studio. Grades will reflect your attention to studio upkeep.
-Assignments must be completed on time- Due dates are due dates. Failure to complete a project on time will automatically result in a one letter grade drop for that project with no possibility for regaining that grade (Except due to documented emergency).
-Be Respectful of the material- Ceramics has an astoundingly rich history that far exceeds that of any medium. You are involved in learning and making within this historical framework. Virtually every culture ever documented in history has had some relationship to ceramics. I am serious about working in clay and I expect that you will approach the course content with a serious interest.
Cell Phone / Pagers- Turn off all cell phones and pagers or place on buzz mode while class is in progress.
If there is an emergency situation that must be attended to, please remove yourself from the studio to conduct your conversation elsewhere. It is distracting and rude to conduct phone conversations in the
studio. This applies to class time as well as open studio time.
Thank you.
Assessment
Each student will be given a final letter grade that will reflect the student’s level of combined achievement in the following areas: Grades will not be discussed in class, but rather by appointment during office hours.
1) Demonstration of understanding and implementation of the concepts, information, and techniques discussed in relation to each project in class.
2) Technical proficiency as it relates to the specific processes involved in making ceramic work.
Consistent involvement in kiln loading, firing, and unloading on a weekly basis.
Careful attention to craftsmanship/ workmanship and particularly to the details of each piece.
3) Criticism: Accepting criticism and implementing suggestions that are given to demonstrate willingness to push the work to make it better. Also includes the interest and ability to give constructive criticism to others thoughtfully.
4) Self-Motivation: Demonstrating through action that there is a desire to understand more fully the concepts and techniques discussed in class by pushing it further in the work and through out of class research.
5) Questions: Ask questions every class period about lecture info, techniques, and philosophies.
6) Participation in group discussions and critiques. Extremely important.
7) Attendance as it relates to the outlined policy in this syllabus
8) Evidence of an active sketchbook: Demonstrates that the student is actively engaged in thinking about the course material and is working outside of class to push ideas further along.
9) Research Paper: Details and topics will be discussed later in the course.
10) Oral Presentation: Details and topics will be discussed later in the course.
11) Assigned Studio Tech Rotating Position
* Each individual project and quiz will receive a grade that will be recorded and communicated to
the student shortly after the test date/ due date.
Grades are weighted by the following structure:
1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 given as point grade.
5 = A (Advanced) 4 = B ( Proficient) 3 = C (Basic) 2 = D (Emerging) 1 = F (Not Present)
*Clay projects will be assessed
on the due date
prior to firing, with the exception of the final portfolio grade which requires that all work be glazed and fired to completion for a separate grade.Written and oral assignments, quizzes, oral presentation: 20%
Class participation and studio maintenance: 20%
Clay projects: 60%
Projects:
Expect to complete seven to ten major projects this course, plus an additional number of shorter studies or/
mold-making exercises. You will need to work diligently during class and
outside
of class to get the work done sufficiently andeven more time
if you hope to obtain level of excellence. We will be discussing glazing and firing of the work and these issues will also be considered when grading students.Please consider that there is no inherent correlation between the amount of time spent on a piece and the grade that it receives.
1) Narrative coil piece 6) Wheel pieces
2) Pit fired coil piece-Terra sigillata (and pinch pots) 7) Pinched vessels 3) Reduction-fired slab piece (Tar Paper) 8) Trompe l’oeil piece
4) Figurative sculpture 9) Wall piece
5) Electric-fired piece 10) Experimental
PLUS
11) Research Paper 12) Presentations
13) Sketchbook assignments
Explanations of absences/ tardiness.
Please present to the instructor verifiable documentation that accompanies any legitimate explanation for an absence/ tardiness or emergency situation. Please be advised that without actual documentation from a verifiable source, all absences and tardiness will be considered unexcused.
Final Critique-Final reviews of each individual student’s portfolio of work will take place during the scheduled final examination time.
Accommodations for Disabilities:
“Students with documented disabilities who may need accommodations or any student considering obtaining documentation should make an appointment with Ms. Martha Bledsoe, Director of Services for Students with Disabilities, no later than the first week of class. She can be reached by calling 262-524-7335 or contacting her via email at [email protected].”
Statement of due notification. “The Carroll University Academic Integrity Policy is located in your student handbook (pages 17-22). I encourage you to familiarize yourself with it. If a student violates this policy in any way, I reserve the right to impose a sanction of failure on the assignment/assessment or failure in the course. If you have questions about appropriate citations, please ask.”
Syllabus Modification:
This syllabus is subject to change at the discretion of the instructor and the university to facilitate instructional and/or student needs. It is the student’s responsibility to keep abreast of such changes.
