With the vessel as a starting point this course will explore some of the endless possible interpretations of an ancient ceramic tradition. From the 1917 “Fountain” posited by Marcel Duchamp to the 1960s brutalist stacks of Peter Voulkos, or Kathy Butterly’s last twenty years of twisted mini-pots and Ehren Tool’s anti war ‘cups’, artists have used the vessel as a conceptual device to present their particular point of view.  In this course we will investigate the effects of outline, scale, surface, value, and presentation. Students will focus on acquiring a personal vocabulary and clarifying how artists engage with the rich history of ceramic form.
A range of clay bodies is available as well as all possible hand-building techniques.  Students will be asked to consider the power of color, to explore new ways of working large, to investigate the use of non-fired finishes. Incorporating mixed media and non-traditional materials is encouraged.
The course includes readings, artist interviews and virtual field trips. In addition to the ancient and historic, contemporary artists whose work will be discussed include:  Ehren Tool , Ann Agee, Julia Haft-Candell, Arleen Schechet , Alison Britton 
Peter Shire and the Memphis group, Lauren Mabry, Ai WeiWei, Betty Woodman, Edmund deWaal , Tony Marsh, Stephen Lee, Grayson Perry, Peter Voulkos, Ron Nagle, Kathy Butterly, Nicole Cherubini, Roberto Lugo, Alwyn O’Brien. And many others…Recommended Texts: Edmund deWaal, The Pot Book, Jane Hirsfield, Given Sugar, Given Salt: Poems, Suzanne Staubach, Clay: The History and Evolution of Humankind’s Relationship with Earth’s Most Primal Element.

Visit Workday to view this information.