vince pitelka on sat 2 sep 00
> 7th grader ALL have to have me for part of one semester as part of an
> integrated unit. We are working with world geography and will therefore be
> doing World Art. I am planning to do pots inspired by the coiled pottery
done
> during the Jomon period of Japanese art history - the insides are smoothed
> and the outside coil designs remain intact.
Susan -
Such pots may exist, but I have looked at a lot of Jomon pots and have never
seen any where the coils remain visible on the outside. Such a thing would
be very impractical in a functional vessel, because it severely reduces the
structural integrity of the pot, as compared to one where the coils are
thoroughly smeared together inside and out. The Jomon potters were masters
of all sorts of impressed and carved decoration (especially the broad range
of corded imprints, made by rolling or pressing rope or cord into the
surface), so it is likely that what you see on the surface is actually
carved or impressed, rather than visible coils. In ancient and tribal
cultures worldwide, it is very rare to ever find a coil pot where the coils
remain visible, for the reason I explained above. Tribal coil potters do
not bother to score and slurry between coils. They smear their coils
together very aggressively (and often very quickly!), using fresh, sticky
clay, and they get a vessel as strong as any thrown pot.
Best wishes -
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Home - vpitelka@dekalb.net
615/597-5376
Work - wpitelka@tntech.edu
615/597-6801 ext. 111, fax 615/597-6803
Appalachian Center for Crafts
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
http://www.craftcenter.tntech.edu/
ARTSHP@AOL.COM on sat 2 sep 00
Thank you Vince. I pulled out my Asian Art History book to look at the
example that I was thinking of and it suggests that these were created with
applique's of clay ropes. [A History of Far Eastern Art. 5th Ed. Lee, Sherman
E. pp 27-28].
I have had success with elementary students in creating this effect inside of
a small hump form (little food containers lined with heavy cellophane.)
What method do you think would be most effective with Middle School age? I
have no intention of going large in the creation of these vessels.
Susan in Seattle
Dennis Freeman on sun 3 sep 00
I am planning to do pots inspired by the coiled pottery
>> done
>>> during the Jomon period of Japanese art history - the insides are smoothed
>>> and the outside coil designs remain intact.
>>
>> Susan -
...Such a thing would
>> be very impractical in a functional vessel, because it severely reduces the
>> structural integrity of the pot, as compared to one where the coils are
>> thoroughly smeared together inside and out. The Jomon potters were masters
>> of all sorts of impressed and carved decoration ... so it is likely that what
you see on the surface is actually
>> carved or impressed, rather than visible coils.
>> - Vince
... the coils are battered by
> beating them with a paddle, at the same time using a rounded stone on the
> inside of the pot, The stone is frequently dipped in fine ash to avoid
> sticking. D.Morrill
Susan - In addition to the matters mentioned in this post, let me suggest
the use of scrapers. Like stones, they compact & even the clay, and allow
the potter to completely control the shape. My HS students do very well w/
Kemper S3's, but a can lid, piece of gourd or trimmed credit card work very
well. This can be done from the inside, using a paddle (with cord or cut
texture) on the outside as suggested above. - Dennis in Wyo.
Lee Love on sun 3 sep 00
----- Original Message -----
From: vince pitelka
> Susan -
> Such pots may exist, but I have looked at a lot of Jomon pots and have
never
> seen any where the coils remain visible on the outside.
The only coiling I've seen is decorative. The rest is smoothed together
with rope impression. The word Jomon means rope impression.
--
Lee Love
Mashiko JAPAN Ikiru@kami.com
Help E.T. Phone Earth: http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/
kinoko@OKJUNC2.JUNCTION.NET on sun 3 sep 00
At 12:50 9/2/00 -0500, you wrote:
>> 7th grader ALL have to have me for part of one semester as part of an
>> integrated unit. We are working with world geography and will therefore be
>> doing World Art. I am planning to do pots inspired by the coiled pottery
>done
>> during the Jomon period of Japanese art history - the insides are smoothed
>> and the outside coil designs remain intact.
>
>Susan -
>Such pots may exist, but I have looked at a lot of Jomon pots and have never
>seen any where the coils remain visible on the outside. Such a thing would
>be very impractical in a functional vessel, because it severely reduces the
>structural integrity of the pot, as compared to one where the coils are
>thoroughly smeared together inside and out. The Jomon potters were masters
>of all sorts of impressed and carved decoration (especially the broad range
>of corded imprints, made by rolling or pressing rope or cord into the
>surface), so it is likely that what you see on the surface is actually
>carved or impressed, rather than visible coils. In ancient and tribal
>cultures worldwide, it is very rare to ever find a coil pot where the coils
>remain visible, for the reason I explained above. Tribal coil potters do
>not bother to score and slurry between coils. They smear their coils
>together very aggressively (and often very quickly!), using fresh, sticky
>clay, and they get a vessel as strong as any thrown pot.
>Best wishes -
>- Vince
>
>Vince Pitelka
>Home - vpitelka@dekalb.net
>615/597-5376
>Work - wpitelka@tntech.edu
>615/597-6801 ext. 111, fax 615/597-6803
>Appalachian Center for Crafts
>Tennessee Technological University
>1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
>http://www.craftcenter.tntech.edu/
>
>___________________________________________________________________________
___
>Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
>You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
>settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
>Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
>Susan, I may have neglected to mention that Isao does not use slurry
between coils and that,once scroddled together, the coils are battered by
beating them with a paddle, at the same time using a rounded stone on the
inside of the pot, The stone is frequently dipped in fine ash to avoid
sticking. In Nigeria, we saw a large number of pots constructed in a
similar manner and fired in a simple brush fire. D.Morrill
Don & Isao Sanami Morrill
e-Mail:
vince pitelka on mon 4 sep 00
> Thank you Vince. I pulled out my Asian Art History book to look at the
> example that I was thinking of and it suggests that these were created
with
> applique's of clay ropes. [A History of Far Eastern Art. 5th Ed. Lee,
Sherman
> E. pp 27-28].
Susan -
Yes, I forgot about that technique. I looked through my slides of Jomon
pots, and found quite a few which have the appliqued coils which you
mention. It would be very easy to assume that those were coils simply left
exposed during construction. There are a lot of African pots which employ
the same technique, where decorative raised-relief decoration is added with
coils after the vessel has been constructed and thoroughly smeared together.
> I have had success with elementary students in creating this effect inside
of
> a small hump form (little food containers lined with heavy cellophane.)
For small vessels this is just fine, especially inside a small slump-form,
since the inside of the vessel can be smeared together quite thoroughly
while the form is still inside the mold. You might want to throw and/or
handbuild a range of thrown bisque-molds to use for this purpose. That way
you can come up with some less conventional shapes, rather than using
commercial containers as slump molds.
> What method do you think would be most effective with Middle School age? I
> have no intention of going large in the creation of these vessels.
Middle school kids are capable of making GREAT coil pots. My college-level
intro students do a life-size coil-built head-and-shoulders bust, but that
would be too ambitious for middle shool. But a smaller bust or animal
sculpture would not bee too much. The main thing is to come up with
something which pushes them. A good size coil pot would accomplish that,
perhaps with the option of giving it human or animal features. Just make
sure they smear the coils together very thoroughly as they join them,
without thinning them out too much. Have them roll their coils no thinner
than 1/2 to 3/4 inch, and have them hold the coil up in the air, with one
end draped down against the rim on the far side of the pot. Lay the end of
the coil on top of the wall, and smear downwards agressively with the thumb,
supporting the outside with the fingers. Work your way around the rim,
laying down the coil as you go. If you lay the whole coil in place and then
smear it downwards, it will be expanding sideways as well as vertically, and
the vessel will grow in diameter quickly, easily getting out of control.
Far better to feed the coil into place as you smear it in place, so that it
only expands vertically. It is very easy to finalize and expand the form
later, using a stiff curved rib on the inside, with the flat of your hand in
a corresponding location on the outside. All of this works best on a
banding wheel, but in lieu of that, just place the coil pot on several
thickness of newspaper on a piece of plastic. This will spin fairly easily
on a smooth table surface.
I start all coil pots with a flat slab, just patted out between the hands
like a pancake. Always add the first coil on top of the slab, scoring and
slurrying it in place. You do not need to score and slurry at all after
that, unless you leave the piece for a period of time and it stiffens up
some. Then you should score and slurry the first coil in place and then
proceed as described above.
I may have over-explained some of this, as you may already be familiar with
these processes. They are all flexible. The most important thing is to
make that all joints are as strong as possible. Kids need to learn early on
that when you press clay straight together without disrupting the platelates
along the joint, you are essentially just creating a fracture plane. In
contrast, if you smear the parts together (or score and slurry if the
surfaces are too stiff to smear), you should get a joint as strong as any
other part of the pot.
Good luck -
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Home - vpitelka@dekalb.net
615/597-5376
Work - wpitelka@tntech.edu
615/597-6801 ext. 111, fax 615/597-6803
Appalachian Center for Crafts
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
http://www.craftcenter.tntech.edu/
>
> Susan in Seattle
>
>
____________________________________________________________________________
__
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
>
ARTSHP@AOL.COM on tue 5 sep 00
Vince,
>I may have over-explained some of this, as you may already be familiar with
these processes. <
No, I really appreciate you and all the others who took the time to give me
these details - particularly in a way that I can use to describe the process
to students. I am basically a generalist - my university has us learn a
little bit of everything - and that is an awesome thing for a teacher, in
some ways, but in other ways, I find that I am fearful about not teaching
the lessons in a way that will give my students the best opportunity to be
successful.
All this to say - I really appreciate the help! Thanks again!
Susan in Seattle
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