chapter 2.8 media and processes introduction to craft

PART 2

MEDIA AND PROCESSES

Chapter 2.8 The Tradition of Craft

Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields

Introduction to Craft

By the 1700’s, certain media came to be considered as ,

while others were termed crafts

Crafts meant items made to be used rather than simply looked at

Historically, one learned craft from a master (on in the family),

then later, one joined a guild-not always easy

The distinction today between craft and fine arts is blurred

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MEDIA AND PROCESSES



Ceramics The manufacture of a ceramic object requires the shaping of

clay, which is then baked at high temperatures to make it hard

In a process called wedging,

the clay is kneaded to work out

pockets of air and make the clay

easier to work.

Once it has been shaped,

the clay is left to dry.

Once dry, the clay is fired in an oven

called a kiln at a high temperature.

To add the finishing touches,

artists apply a glaze-

then usually fired again

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MEDIA AND PROCESSES



Ceramics studio equipment. 2: Electric ceramic wheels for pottery production

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MEDIA AND PROCESSES



Ceramics studio equipment. 3: Kilns for firing the ceramic objects

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MEDIA AND PROCESSES



Coiling to create a clay objects has been around since ancient

times

A coil is created by rolling the clay on a flat surface so

that it extends into a long rope-like shape

When making a round vessel,

the artist wraps the coil around

upon itself and then fuses

the sections together by smoothing

Seated Figure, Oaxaca, Mexico,

Zapotec style, 300 BCE–700 CE.

Ceramic,12⅝ x 7 x 7⅜”.

Cleveland Museum of Art, Ohio

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MEDIA AND PROCESSES



Seated Figure, Oaxaca, Mexico, Zapotec-style

This figure was made to be buried

in the tomb of a Zapotec ruler and

may portray a god or possibly a

companion for the deceased

The coil method was preferred for

constructing rounded objects

because the organic line of the coil

could be controlled in a way that

would complement the piece’s

essence or spirit

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MEDIA AND PROCESSES



Throwing A potter’s wheel consists of a round disk that revolves while the

ceramist shapes the object

By 3000 BCE the Chinese were using potter’s wheels

The potter centers a mound of clay on the turning wheel and

then shapes a pot by poking a hole in the middle of the mound,

and then pushing and pulling the wall of the pot up and out with

both hands as it turns

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_xgMudrBRE

Throwing a big pot

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaZbSHj23mo

Raku artists and firing process

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_xgMudrBRE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaZbSHj23mo

Shoji Hamada

National Treasure in 1955

Raku Vessel

Raku steps:

wedging, throwing or forming, air dry,

First fire, glaze, 2nd fire, throw in wood

Or paper to smoke

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MEDIA AND PROCESSES



Slab Method

When artists use slab construction to make a ceramic

object they first roll out a flat sheet of clay

They then cut this clay into the shapes they need to

make the object

To make a three-dimensional object, the ceramist takes

care to join the corners

This style of working lends itself to making boxes and

other forms that have large flat sides

Peter Voulkos, Gallas Rock,

1960. Stoneware with slip and

glaze, 84 x 37 x 26¾”.

University of California at Los

Angeles, Franklin D. Murphy

Sculpture Garden

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MEDIA AND PROCESSES



Peter Voulkos, Gallas Rock

Slab construction (and wheel throwing)

used in an organic and Expressionistic

way

The slabs are evident in the flat planes

that dominate this eight-foot-tall

sculptural object

What do you think of this piece?

Art or not? Craft or not? Is it as

“useful” as a ceramic pot, if the

artistic message fails?

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MEDIA AND PROCESSES



Glass

The process of applying intense heat to melt silica together

with lead is the basis for most glass production

Glassblowing, the process of forming a glass vessel by

forcing air into molten glass, usually by blowing through

a tube, was in use by the first century BCE in Syria and was

later adopted and perfected by the Romans

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcupSHLsucE



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MEDIA AND PROCESSES



Metalwork

Metal can be heated to a liquid state and poured into

molds or CAST

It can also be heated and then hammered into shape, or it

can be worked when it is cold or FORGED

It can also be cut and joined or SOLDERED or

WELDED

It can also be RIVETED to other materials like wood or

plastic

Most metals are strong but malleable and can be bent or

stretched to fit the needs of the artist

Death mask from Shaft Grave V,

Grave Circle A, Mycenae. Also

known as Mask of Agamemnon.

Gold, 12” high. Greece, c. 1550–

1500 BCE. National Archaeological

Museum, Athens, Greece

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MEDIA AND PROCESSES



Death mask from Shaft Grave V, Grave Circle A, Mycenae

The artist then carefully hammered the surface of the thin

metal until the shape and texture of the design was

imprinted in the metal

The artist has given the impression of a human face by

placing objects, like cowrie shells for the eyes, under the

surface of the metal and forcing the gold sheet into its final

shape

This type of mask was used as a burial mask to cover the

face of the departed

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MEDIA AND PROCESSES



Fiber

Fibers are threads made from animal or vegetable

materials (such as fur, wool, silk, cotton, flax, linen)

or, more recently, synthetic materials (for example,

nylon or polyester)

The fibers can be spun into yarn, string, or thread,

then woven or knitted into lengths of textiles

Faith Ringgold. Tar Beach 1988. 74 5/8 x 68 1/2 in. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lia6SFTOeu8

Quilting as a way to remember, celebrate and document family ties has a long history.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lia6SFTOeu8

Tlingit Chilkat dancing blanket, 19th century

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MEDIA AND PROCESSES



Tlingit Chilkat dancing blanket

The Tlingit people, from the western coast of Canada and Alaska,

wove this entirely by hand from goat wool and cedar bark

In many cases these designs are abstract depictions of animals

Blankets were worn on ceremonial occasions

Very expensive, and the prized possessions

Leisa Rich 2010

Organic Fiber Wall Piece

Dave Rich Teddy Bear

2003 Fiberglass

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MEDIA AND PROCESSES



Wood

Wood, an organic plant-based material, deteriorates over

time, so we have few ancient examples of art objects made

in this medium

Detail of studiolo from the Ducal Palace in Gubbio, Italy, Giuliano da Maiano, after a design by Francesco di Giorgio Martini, c. 1480. Walnut, beech, rosewood, oak, and fruit woods in walnut base, 15’11” x 16’11” x 12’7¼”. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

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MEDIA AND PROCESSES



Detail of studiolo from the Ducal Palace in Gubbio, Italy

Intarsia is a kind of wood mosaic using woods of

different colors

The artist took very thin, shaped pieces of wood and

organized them to create a masterpiece of illusionistic

depth and value

Federico da Montefeltro, the duke of Urbino wanted the

symbols in this design to reflect his achievements as a ruler,

military commander, collector of books, and patron of the

arts

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Conclusion

Functional crafts are still practiced and remembered as

a part of national histories and cultures, and sometimes

as part of a region’s identity

The makers of functional items refined and improved them

until they became objects of art

The artist of hand-made objects understands the attributes

of various materials and chooses those that fit the function

he or she needs it to fulfill

Not all crafts are considered art. But many craft works

have been recognized for their excellence and attention

to design and originality

chapter 2.8 media and processes introduction to craft

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