Cara Moczygemba on mon 9 feb 98
ClayArters:
I've been reading the comments about why we make handmade objects with much
interest. Truly, I agree that if people do not appreciate a handmade pot,
they do not need them. There are enough people who like a handmade pot to
keep the potting tradition alive. Anyway, others said all that much better
and first.
A few days back someone asked for a response from people who use molds in
their work, and I haven't seen anything, so I'll put my two cents in.
My teachers, all the way through my undergrad education, and they know who
they are, were very enamored of the hand-made process, be it in sculpture or
throwing, and instilled in me a sense that things made by mold were inferior.
Somehow it was not honest. In grad school, Tony Marsh insisted that I take
plaster mold-making, against my opinions of such things. And strangely, I
liked it. And I began to see, through the class and through several class-
mates who used molds, the potential of such a thing. I had reached a point
where I could make clay do whatever i wanted (as long as it wasn't on a wheel.
I'm a capable but mediocre potter) but I wanted it to look like found objects,
not like made objects. Molds served the idea. And i am a firm believer that
you should find the material that suits your idea, not try to hammer a
material into an idea that it doesn't fit. So, after meandering off into
mixed media and painting and some other things that I dare not recount for
embarrassment, I returned wholeheartedly to clay. (Note, I'm a sculptor, so
I'm not making functional ware, or even anything that resembles pots, and I
use up to thirty molds in any single piece)
Now, as for production pottery which is slip-cast instead of thrown, it is
less expensive, and can imitate thrown work, but slip-cast things always feel
slipcast to me, and I prefer an nicely thrown bowl, or even a jiggered bowl.
Maybe it has to do with the movement of the clay molecules, going around in a
spiral, they feel tighter. I don't know. And I know that for alot of people
(myself included) a pot is a canvas, so how you got it is not nearly as
important as what you do with it later.
I'd love to hear if there are any others on ClayArt who use molds. If any one
would like instructions on making your own pouring table (I recently made one
from materials I got at Home Depot for less than $100) drop me a line.
Cara in New Orleans
CaraMox@aol.com
Marion Barnes-Schwartz. on tue 10 feb 98
What is a pouring table?
Thanks.
Marion
Don Jones on wed 11 feb 98
And I know that for alot of people
>(myself included) a pot is a canvas, so how you got it is not nearly as
>important as what you do with it later.
>
>I'd love to hear if there are any others on ClayArt who use molds. If any one
>would like instructions on making your own pouring table (I recently made one
>from materials I got at Home Depot for less than $100) drop me a line.
>
>Cara in New Orleans
>CaraMox@aol.com
Cara,
I use a mold to make my 5" spheres because it is easy and cheap to do and
alot can be made. Since they are not held but merely canvases for my
skies, Idon't feel too bad. I would prefer not to use a mold but economics
dicatate otherwise.
Don Jones
claysky@highfiber.com
:-) implied in all messages and replies
http://highfiber.com/~claysky
Ann Zerger, Associate AIA and Chip Parker, AIA on thu 12 feb 98
Dear Jones,
We do architectural large scale ceramics, and use molds alot of times. It is the
only way to be consistant with certain type of shapes and lines one makes large
scale. Of course all pieces are first hand made in clay by us .
Don Jones wrote:
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> And I know that for alot of people
> >(myself included) a pot is a canvas, so how you got it is not nearly as
> >important as what you do with it later.
> >
> >I'd love to hear if there are any others on ClayArt who use molds. If any on
> >would like instructions on making your own pouring table (I recently made one
> >from materials I got at Home Depot for less than $100) drop me a line.
> >
> >Cara in New Orleans
> >CaraMox@aol.com
>
> Cara,
> I use a mold to make my 5" spheres because it is easy and cheap to do and
> alot can be made. Since they are not held but merely canvases for my
> skies, Idon't feel too bad. I would prefer not to use a mold but economics
> dicatate otherwise.
>
> Don Jones
> claysky@highfiber.com
> :-) implied in all messages and replies
> http://highfiber.com/~claysky
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