Art Ceramic vessels based on the theme of urban landscape, modern Essay

Art Ceramic vessels based on the theme of urban landscape, modern modern architect and looking at artists works - Essay Example In the beginning, ceramic pieces served two purposes: functional and decorative purposes. Early potters created their pieces so that they may be used as pieces of tableware, crockery or other functional items. With time, potters began exploring the limits of ceramic art. They introduced art pieces that carried no functional purpose and yet became master pieces for the thought they represented. Contemporary ceramic artist had moved from functional to aesthetic to experimental and even to garish pieces. The diversity added by these artists adds more charm to the art. In this paper, I would be exploring my ceramic pieces that I have developed for this course. The art pieces that I have developed have been inspired from contemporary ceramic artists including Ken Eastman and Alison Britton. This art form explores how vessels can be reshaped to acquire the form of architectural landscapes; and most specifically modern architectural buildings. I have reflected upon my art pieces in reflecti on with the work of other notable ceramic artists. While I have found certain lacking in my art forms, I believe that my art is in the right direction. This paper will discuss contemporary artists also while reflecting on their art pieces and the idea behind these pieces. Ceramic Art Ceramic Art is a three dimensional art form whereby objects from clay are made. These include pots, tableware, tiles and many other figures. The process of converting clay into figures is known as pottery. The word ceramic is derived from the Greek word Keramikos, meaning pottery. While clay is the main material used in ceramics, artists nowadays experiment with different inorganic material and the art produced is still termed as ceramic art. Ceramic Art, like any other art form, can be completed through different techniques. There are four basic methods through which pottery can be produced. These include hand work, wheel work, slip casting and slab building technique. Often a combination of two is use d to complete a piece. Hand work is one of the most basic and primitive methods of producing pottery where the potter uses a ball of clay to fashion a piece of pottery with his hands. Because of the inconsistency in design, many potters prefer wheel work. In wheel work, a potter’s wheel is employed where the potter places a ball of clay in the wheel head. With the help of a foot pedal, the wheel is turned and the potter gives shape to his piece through pressing, squeezing or pulling. The advantage of the wheel work is that is allows the designer to produce similar mass products. These products can also be altered through bulging, fluting, faceting, carving, incising or impressing the pieces. Often a combination of wheel work and hand work is employed where hand work is used to finish of the pieces. Potters add handles, feet, lids and other design elements to the original piece through handwork. The third technique, slip casting is preferred to create small delicate pieces. It involves the use of mold whereby liquid clay is poured within the molds, dried and then removed. Slab building technique is another technique that is preferred by contemporary ceramic artists and came from the Mesoamerican Pre-Columbian ceramists. In this technique, the clay or any other material is rolled out through the help of the rolling pin. Once the clay is rolled out, it acquires a soft finish which can easily be molded into the required shape. A ceramist might use a number of