Title: Ceramics
1Ceramics
- moisture, plastic and heat.
- Wedge
- Water, turns to steam
- Everything you will do with clay involves the
interplay of these three variables - What do you do to prevent stress cracks?
- Why did I spends much time on the mystical aspect
of ceramics
2Narrative Vessel
Narrative art tells a story, and the Ancient
Greeks were the first to paint on clay pots as a
way of telling stories. They painted action
scenes featuring the human figure as early as the
Bronze Age (around 2900-2000 BC). Art that
represents a form or the human form is called
figurative. During the Greek classical period,
figurative images reached a high point. Ceramic
artists painted elegant pots with monsters,
heroes, and mythological figures. In early
classical narratives (700 BC), black figures were
crafted on the pots natural red clay background.
Lines showing facial features or clothing were
incised (carved into the clay). Later vessels
(500 BC) featured the red figure style the
background is painted black and the figures
remains red. Artists began to paint lines and
details freehand with a brush. Until this time
Potters had been anonymous. Now the potters who
shaped the vessels and the painters who added the
details typically signed their ceramic vessels.
- Narrative art tells a story
- Ancient Greeks were the master at narrative
vessels - Figurative art that represents the human form
- Incised small lines that are carved into the
surface of something - Sgraffito- A decorative technique where a layer
of slip applied to a clay body is scratched
through to reveal the clay color
3Narrative on ClayA Global Interest
Time line
- The Bronze Age Greek Black Figure Style
Vessels Greek Red Figure Style Vessels
4Narrative on ClayA Global Interest
- Narrative art also flourished in the ancient
Americas. About 500 years after the Ancient
Greeks first developed the black figure
technique, the Moche, a people on Peru North
coast, were chronicling their beliefs and history
on intricately painted pots. The Moche, who
flourished from 50 AD to 800AD, had no writing
system, but scholars compare their ceramics to a
library, because the Moche recorded so much on
their pots. Moche artists applied fine lines to
the pot, a technique know as slip painting.
- Moche people from 50-800 AD were also creating
narrative vessels which today chronicle their
society
50 AD
Moche begin producing pottery Myans first begin
producing pottery
5Narrative on ClayA Global Interest
- North of the Moche people, the Maya in the
region now occupied by Belise, Guatemala, and
Mexicos Yucatan province- created another great
civilization. The Mayan classical period 250 AD
- 850 AD) was marked by multicolored painted
ceramics that detailed religious themes, rituals,
and history. Mayan artists used basic shapes and
relied heavily on lines as an expressive feature.
Like the Moche and the Greeks the Mayan used
Slip painting to create their designs, which were
fired at low temperature. Artists personalized
the pots with their names, the names of their
patrons (customers) and sometimes the name of the
town where the vessel was created.
6Narrative on ClayA Global Interest
- Radial design a design that wraps around the
circumference of a vessel
- Artists in all three cultures Greek, Moche, Mayan
mastered the difficult art of painting a
narrative scene on the outside of a round pot.
Wrapping a composition around a pot requires
careful planning because you can only see and
work on a small portion of the pots surface at a
time. - All three cultures also used the same
composition. The narrative is in the center and
decorative elements are above and below it
7Narrative Vessel
- Three elements of Classical Style
- Figure
- Radial line design
- Writing
- Some type of story is being told on the vessel.
- You will tell a story in a slip painted format
similar to that of the classical narrative. In
ceramics, classical style uses figurative imagery
to tell a story. The artist uses line drawings
for a wraparound design and also writes on the
piece. - The ceramic arts of the Greek, Moche and Mayan
classical periods decorated their vessels with
narrative (story telling) themes that often
featured heroes or mythical creatures. Pots were
also used to record special events such as
weddings, funerals, festivals, and battles.
Often these classical works were high status
serving vessels used for rituals or awarded as
gifts. They signified political power or social
prestige.
8Before you begin
- Classical style uses SYMBOLS to tell a story
- The artist uses line drawings for RADIAL (wrap
around) design and may also write on the vessel
- Consider the narrative form as it is exists
today. What artistic devices do we use to
visually ell our stories. - Think about the story you would like to tell.
This could be inspired by comic books, urban
legend, a story passed down through your family,
or culture (fairy tales) or something inspired by
your own imagination (a story you have written) - Develop a narrative design that dramatizes your
story - Sketch the story in sequence.
- Use the human figure in your narrative. Your
figures can be realistic, cartoonish or stylized. - In your design, include at least two decorative
elements that follow the classical style line
patterns, face and body (in profile) writing or
symbols - Detail line can be incised of slip painted
- Your Line Patterns, Symbol designs and figures
and writing must be in at least three radial
bands.
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