Marvin Bartel on sat 1 jun 96
Sorry, its been 5 months since my last teaching installment. The discussion
of foot wedging reminds me of the following class activity I've used many times.
A LESSON IN EXPRESSIONISM USING CLAY (c) Marvin Bartel, 1996 (may be used,
but not published without permission).
OBJECTIVES
We are naturally inhibited. We fear making mistakes. If a class
seems to need to be more "in touch" with clay for its own sake, we have a
session of making slabs between two pieces of canvas on the floor.
THE CAPRICIOUS ACTION STAGE
We take off our shoes and flatten the clay with our feet. Weather
permitting we do this outside. We "decorate" the slabs with various action
oriented activities as in "abstract expressionism." We are looking for the
qualities of the material and the record of actions on it - nothing else.
We stomp it, bend it, crack it, slam it with pieces of clay, bang it with
sticks. Wildness and humor are encouraged.
THE AESTHETIC ORGANIZING STAGE
We assempble a free standing sculpture piece by combining this
"pre-decorated" clay with a very basic smooth cylinder contrasting piece
produced on the wheel (these were thrown first and set in front of a fan to
harden a bit while the slabs are prepared). We add colored slip to
reinforce things discovered and invented while working.
END PRODUCT
These pieces are not always fired but the "process" is discussed
with questions about art, creativity, style, risk taking, discomfort,
enjoyment, design, organization, contrast, action, motion, and so on. Some
pieces are raku fired. A few are high fired. We are encouraged to consider
the power of being expressive in every piece we make.
HERITAGE LEARNING AT THE END - NOT AT THE BEGINNING
AFTER having this experience is a great time to show slides of work
by abstract expressionist painters, sculptors, and clay artists. We are
ready for it. We begin to comprehend it. I question showing the slides
before doing the experience. If I show the slides first, I feel like I am
leading with the answers rather than stating open questions. There is too
much influence leading to certain looks developed by other artists.
VARIATIONS
This assignment can either be done by individuals or by small groups
who create larger assemblages. If they are done individually, firing the
best one of two is a way to improve the quality. The individual has to
decide on the best with the help of anybody they select as a fellow critic
discussant. Sometimes 2-person collaborators do pairs of pieces and flip a
coin after firing to see who gets which piece.
YOUR TURN
If this reminds you of an activity you liked as a student or you've
liked as a teacher, describe it. Us teachers and our students need the best
ideas we can get. My students have already benefited from several ClayArt
ideas.
++++++++++++++
Marvin Bartel, Chair, Art Dept
Goshen College, Goshen, IN 46526
marvinpb@goshen.edu
http://www.goshen.edu
++++++++++++++
BillAbrigt on mon 3 jun 96
I HAVE HAD SOME RECENT SUCCESS WITH A GROUP PROJECT THAT ALL STUDENTS
CONTRIBUTE AN OBJECT TO. "ALL STRUNG OUT" IS A STRING OF CLAY SPHERES (
OR WHATEVER) FROM THE INITIAL PINCH POT DEMO ABOUT 6"IN DIA. WITH A HOLE
IN EACH END. THESE ARE COMPLETED IN THE FIRST WET CLAY SESSION, BISQUED
AND USED FOR THE FIRST GLAZING LESSON,FIRED AND LAYED OUT IN A LINE THAT
FEATURES EACH BEAD WELL IN THE GROUPING. THEY ARE THEN STRUNG ON A 1/8"
TO 1/4" STAINLESS STEEL CABLE WITH SOME NEUTRAL BEADS(SMALLER EXTRUDED
TUBES)IN BETWEEN TO SEPERATE THE" FEATURED BEADS". WITH TWO CLASSES OF 30
YOU END UP WITH A STRING OF CLAY THAT IS ABOUT 30 FEET LONG. THIS CAN BE
USED AS A "ON CAMPUS" INSTALLATION PROJECT AND SERVES TO EXPAND THE
CONCEPT OF MONUMENTAL CLAY IN A MANAGEABLE FORMAT. IT'S ALSO A BIT
UNEXPECTED FOR A BEGINING CLASS AND GETS THINGS GOING WITH A BANG! WHEN
INSTALLED MY STUDENTS BRING THEIR FRIENDS BACK SEMESTERS LATER TO SHOW
THEM "THEIR BEAD" IN THE BIG PROJECT. A GOOD WAY TO RECOGNIZE ALUMNI.
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