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Volume 15 • Issue 81 May/June 2009
Barry Gregg’s
K-9 Inspiration
Featured Project: Slip Decorating with Stencils & Trails Peter Callas Interview Clever Support Ideas for Handbuilt Works Is Radon Contaminating Your Basement Studio? A Tribute to Susan Peterson 1925-2009 New Tomato Red Glazes for Cone 6 Oxidation $7.95 U.S./$9.95 CAN
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contents
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TIMES
Clay
May/June 2009 Volume 15 • Issue 81
On the cover: Puppy Mill by Barry Gregg. 18" x 12" x 4". Stoneware decorated with stains, engobes, underglaze, and glaze. Oxidation-fired to cone 6. Photo by Walker Montgomery. Inset photo: Hannibal by Peter Callas. 36" tall.
features 25 Slip Decorating with Trails & Stencils Judi Munn shares her techniques for making simple stencil designs using slip, a homemade trailer, and overhead projector tranparencies.
28 A Tribute to Susan Peterson
Susan Peterson, 1925-2009
Well-known worldwide for her extensive research, knowledge, writings, and collections of claywork, the woman considered by many as “the Queen of Clay” was honored shortly after her death at this year’s NCECA Conference in Phoenix, Arizona.
33 Conversations: Peter Callas Joe Campbell continues his series of clay artist interviews this issue with Peter Callas, and an in-depth look at the influences and evolution of Callas’s career as a wood-fire artist.
39 Man’s Best Friend ... For Life Following his dog Parker’s cancer diagnosis (and the subsequent amputation of one of Parker’s legs), Atlanta clay artist Barry Gregg has drawn artistic inspiration from his three-legged friend.
exhibits 16 6th State of Clay Exhibition, Lexington, Massachusetts 30 Imprints: A Survey of Faculty and Guest Artists at Mesa Arts Center, Mesa, Arizona At left: Home (Totem) by Barry Gregg. Story begins on page 39.
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contents
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TIMES
Clay May/June 2009 • Volume 15 • Issue 81
departments
columns
8 YOUR WORDS
19 AS FAR AS I KNOW “Tomato Reds at Cone 6” by Pete Pinnell
Readers offer their feedback & opinions
25 BENEATH THE SURFACE
10 WHAT’S HOT
“Jan Katz: Thoughts from a Curator” by Lana Wilson
Clay world news, events, and calls for entries
43 KILNS & FIRING
21 GREAT GLAZES
“The Role of Your Gas Kiln’s Chimney” by Marc Ward
Bright, new cone 6 recipes for Tomato Reds
22 SLURRY BUCKET TIPS
46 BOOKS & VIDEOS
Save time and trouble with these studio-tested tips and techniques.
“Collaborative Ceramics of Tom Coleman and Frank Boyden” review by Steve Branfman
44 THE GALLERY A selection of unique works by CT readers
Small Cosmos by Naoko Matsumoto.
“Using Props and Supports When Handbuilding” by Vince Pitelka
54 CLASSIFIED MARKETPLACE Goods and services offered especially for clay artists
56 STUDIO HEALTH AND SAFETY “Radon and the Basement Pottery” by Monona Rossol
55 POTTERY CLASSES Where you can learn claywork in the U.S. & abroad
58 ADVERTISER INDEX A quick reference to locate your favorite ceramics suppliers in this issue
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47 TOOL TIMES
65 AROUND THE FIREBOX Life in Real Life and Virtual Life by Meguni Naitoh.
Pictured above: Images of works featured in this year’s 6th Annual State of Clay exhibition, recently held in Lexington, Massachusetts. For more, turn to page 16.
“Effortless Custody of Automation” by David Hendley
00 TEACHING TECHNIQUES Bill van Gilder is taking a break this issue! Check back in July/August for his next awesome clay project ...
SHOJI HAMADA KILN Just as the spirit of Hamada carries on in the ames of his kilns in Mashiko, Japan, VL-Lite
so does the tradition of excellence and ne craftsmanship of Shimpo pottery equipment. Please visit our website at www.shimpoceramics.com for your pottery equipment needs. VL-Whisper
Aspire
Clay Editor & Art Director: Polly Beach claytimes@gmail.com Circulation Manager: Rachel Brownell ctcirculation@gmail.com Advertising Manager: Janie Herdman claytimesads@gmail.com Accounts Manager: Nanette Greene clayaccounts@gmail.com Proofreader: Jon Singer Office Assistant: Ingrid Phillips Regular Columnists: Steve Branfman, Books & Videos David Hendley, Around the Firebox Pete Pinnell, As Far as I Know Vince Pitelka, Tool Times Monona Rossol, Health & Safety Kelly Savino, Around the Firebox Bill van Gilder, Teaching Techniques Marc Ward, Kilns & Firing Lana Wilson, Beneath the Surface Contributing Writers: Glen Blakley • Joe Campbell • Judi Munn Jeff Reich • Kelly Savino Published by: CLAY TIMES INC. 15481 Second St. • PO Box 365 Waterford, Virginia 20197-0365 540.882.3576 • FAX 540.882.4196 Toll-free subscription line: 800.356.2529
Clay Times® (ISSN 1087-7614) is published bimonthly, six issues per year. Periodicals Postage Paid at Waterford, VA, and at additional mailing offices. Annual subscriptions are available for $33 in the U.S.; $40 in Canada; $60 elsewhere (must be payable in US$). To subscribe, call toll-free 1-800.356.2529, or visit www.claytimes.com.
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Freelance editorial and photographic submissions are welcome: Please contact Clay Times or visit our Web site for writer’s and photographer’s guidelines.
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POSTMASTER: Address service requested. Send address changes to: Clay Times, PO Box 365, Waterford, VA 20197-0365. Copyright © 2009 Clay Times, Inc. All rights reserved. The material contained herein is derived from various sources and does not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. All technical material is offered as general information only and should not be acted upon without expert supervision. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the publisher.
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ceramic art trends, t oo l s & t e c h n i q u e s
Readers’ Letters Maine Students’ Cup Event Held to Raise Awareness Thank you for publishing my article about the Maine College of Art students’ cup event (March/April 2009 Clay Times). I would like to make a clarification. I believe the title, “Maine College of Art Student Raise Funds via Cup Sale,” was a bit misleading. Pottery sales to raise money for causes are wonderful events. However, this particular event was not about selling to raise funds. It was not a cup sale. It was about raising awareness. The cups and coffee were given out free. They were not an “incentive” gift for a donation to a cause (not a bad idea in itself, but this was not the case here). The whole point of the event (generated by students) was to allow people who would not otherwise own a handmade cup to have that experience. It was about educating the public to good handmade pottery. Because we rightly anticipated that some people will just not accept a free gift, we were prepared to accept donations by those who insisted, on behalf of a local organization that underscored education in the arts. But donations were not the crucial point; more of a side benefit of the event. I hope that was made clear in the text of the article (rather than the title) and if not, my apologies. Marian Baker, Portland, ME Thank you, Marian, for the clarification. Our apologies for the error. — Editor [
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Hot Stuff I News & Events
What’s Hot ceramic art world news • events • calls for entries
Pictured at left: She Lost Head Book by Kathy Ruttenberg. Her works will be featured in “Tonight, Tomorrow, and Forever,” an exhibition to take place through May 23 at the Clay Art Center of Port Chester, New York.
Center, Heilmannsvej 31 A, 4230 Skælskør Denmark; tel. 45.5819.0016; ceramic@ceramic. dk; www.ceramic.dk. ‰ Presenters including Sonya Clark, Neil Gershenfeld, Sabrina Gschwandtner, Lydia Matthews, Walter McConnell, David Revere McFadden, Stephen Nachmanovitch, and Joe Wood will share their expertise during Making: Past, Present, and Future, to take place July 12–16 in Deer Isle, Maine. Fee: $320. Contact Candy Haskell, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, PO Box 518, Deer Isle, ME 04627; tel. 207.348.2306; registrar@haystackmtn.org; www.haystack-mtn.org.
CLAYTIMES·COM n May/June 2009
Conferences
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‰ Fusion Conference 2009, to feature presentations by Tom Coleman and Meira Mathison, will take place May 22-24 in Ontario, Canada. Fee: $103. Contact Lucie Gilchrist, Fusion: Ontario Clay & Glass Association, 1444 Queen St. East, Toronto, Ontario M4L 1E1 Canada; tel. 416.438.8946; fusion@clayandglass.on.ca; www.clayandglass.on.ca. ‰ Sculpture in Public Space: Symposium, to feature presentations by Christie Brown, Akio Takamori, and Wenzhi Zhang, takes place June 20-July 31 in Skælskør, Denmark. Contact Ane Fabricius Christiansen, Guldagergaard International Ceramic Research
‰ Outside the Box: The Cheongju International Craft Biennale 2009 takes place September 23–November 1 in the Republic of Korea, Heungdeok-Gu, Cheongju-Si. For details, contact Kang Sun Kyoung, Cheongju International Craft Biennial Committee, 329 Heungdeok-Ro, Heungdeok-Gu, Cheongju-Si, 361-828 Republic of Korea; tel. 82.43.277.2501.3; cjcraft@korea.com; www.okcj.org. ‰ HANDBUILT, the first conference dedicated to handbuilding with clay, will take place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from Sept. 17-19, 2009. This down-to-earth event to benefit the Craft Emergency Relief Fund (CERF) will feature demonstrators including Hayne Bayless, Sandi Pierantozzi, Lisa Naples, and Holly Walker, to be joined by special guest speaker William Daley. For more details and to register, visit: www.sandiandneil.com or contact Sandi at handbuiltevent@gmail.com.
Hot Stuff I News & Events
‰ The African Ceramics Conference takes place September 18–27 in Durban, South Africa. For details, contact University of KwaZulu-Natal, King George V Ave., Durban, South Africa; tel. 27.0.31. 260.2212; armstrongj@ukzn.ac.za; www.ukzn.ac.za. ‰ The 8th Biennial Mid-Atlantic Clay Conference takes place October 1–4 in Front Royal, Virginia, and will feature presentations by Frank Giorgini, Suze Lindsay, and Gay Smith. Contact The Clay Connection, PO Box 3214, Merrifield, VA 22116-3214; tel. 540.636-6016; conference@theclayconnection. org; www.theclayconnection.org. ‰ Creating a New Craft Culture takes place October 15-17 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Contact American Craft Council, 72 Spring St., New York, NY 10012; www.craftcouncil. org/conference09. ‰ Network 2009: Symposium will take place November 3-December 16, 2009 and January 5-February 17, 2010 in Skælskør, Denmark. Contact Ane Fabricius Christiansen, Guldagergaard International Ceramic Research Center, Heilmannsvej 31 A, 4230 Skælskør Denmark; tel. 45.5819.0016; ceramic@ceramic.dk; www.ceramic.dk.
Calls for Entries ‰ Entries of all media are being accepted through May 31 for Small Art Objects 2009, to take place in Vallauris, France in July. Contact A.I.R Vallauris Place Lisnard, 1 Boulevard des Deux Vallons 06220, Vallauris, France; tel. +33(0) 493.646.550; contact@airvallauris.com; www.air-vallauris.org. ‰ Digital submissions/proposals are being accepted through June 1 for thematic group exhibitions for the Clay Studio 2009–2010 exhibition calendar. Contact Jeff Guido, The Clay Studio, 139 N. Second St., Philadelphia, PA 19106; tel. 215.925.3453 ext. 18; jeff@theclay studio.org; www.theclaystudio.org/artist/.
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‰ Digital and slide entries are being accepted through June 1 for The Wichita
subscription TODAY by calling toll-free: (800) 356-2529 ... or for instant 24-hour service online, visit www.claytimes.com
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‰ Submissions are being accepted through June 1 for the Earth Matters NCECA Invitational, to take place March 13–April 15, 2010 in Philadephia, PA. Contact Linda Ganstrom, NCECA, 77 Erie Village Square, Erie, CO 80516; tel. 866.266.2322; office@ NCECA.net; www.nceca.net.
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Hot Stuff I News & Events
National All Media Craft Exhibition, to take place September 4–October 18 in Wichita, Kansas. Fee: $30 for three entries. Juror: Kathleen Royster Lamb. Contact Amy Reep, The Wichita Center for the Arts, 9112 E. Central, Wichita, KS 67206; tel. 316.634.2787, ext. 219; arts@wcfta. com; www.wcfta.com.
‰ Digital and slide entries of work incorporating historic design elements, themes, or trends are being accepted through June 2 for History in the Making IV: Ceramic Traditions/Contemporary Pots, to take place September 18–October 24. Fee: $20 for one entry; $25 for two entries; $30 for three entries. Contact Genesee Pottery, 713 Monroe Ave., Rochester, NY 14607; tel. 585.271.5183; pottery@geneseearts.org; www. geneseearts.org. ‰ Current or recent M.F.A./M.A. students may submit digital entries through June 5 for the 3rd Annual Master Pieces. Contact Manifest Creative Research Gallery, PO Box 6218, Cincinnati, OH 45206; info@manifestgallery.org; www.manifestgallery.org. ‰ Digital submissions are being accepted through June 5 for the 64 Arts National Juried Exhibition, to take place August 22–September 19 in Monmouth, Illinois. Fee: $25 for three entries. Juror: Preston Jackson. Contact Linda Sickmon, Buchanan Center for the Arts, 64 Public Sq., Monmouth, IL 61462; tel. 309.734.3033; bca@frontiernet.net; http://bcaarts.org.
CLAYTIMES·COM n May/June 2009
‰ Digital and slide submissions are being accepted through June 10 for the Strictly Functional Pottery National, to take place September 26–October 25. Pete Pinnell will jury the works, which may not exceed 30" or 20 pounds. Fee: $30 for three digital entries. Contact Phil Haralam, Strictly Functional Pottery National, The Market House Craft Center, PO Box 204, East Petersburg, PA 17520-0204; tel. 717.560.8816; artfair@mmoca.org; www. strictlyfunctionalpotterynational.net.
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‰ Digital submissions are being accepted through June 15 for Dining In: An Artful Experience, to take place at the 18 Hands Gallery in Houston, Texas. Fee: $25 for three entries. Contact Susan Love Fitts, 18 Hands Gallery, 249 W. 19th St., Suite B, Houston, TX 77008; tel. 713.869.3099; susanlovefitts@consolidated.net; www.18handsgallery.com. ‰ Digital submissions of solo and group exhibition proposals for the 2010 calendar are being accepted through June 19 from artists in AZ, NM, and TX. Entry fee is $30. Contact The Las
Cruces Museum of Art, PO Box 20000, Las Cruces, NM 88004; tel. 575.541.2221; jmiller@ las-cruces.org; http://museums.las-cruces.org. ‰ Submissions by U.S. artists are being accepted through June 22 for the Republic of Korea Chungcheongbuk-Do, Heungdeok-Gu, Cheongju-Si Cheongju International Craft Biennial 2009, to take place September 23– November 1. For further information, contact Kang Sun Kyoung, Cheongju International Craft Biennial Committee, 329 HeungdeokRo, Cheongju-Si 361-828; tel. 82 43 277 2501-3; e-mail: cjcraft@korea.com; www.okcj.org. ‰ Actual works by residents of Northern California will be juried through June 26 for Hands in Clay, to take place July 1–August 31 in Turlock, California. Fee per entry: $18 ($15/members). Jurors: Tom Collins and Bruno Kark. Contact Don Hall, San Joaquin Potter’s Guild, 92 Benjamin Way, Turlock, CA 95380; tel. 209.634.3653; mail@donhallworks.com; www.sjpottersguild.org. ‰ Entries are being accepted through June 30 for the 2009 Art Kudos International Online Juried Competition, to take place August 15– August 14, 2010 in Norcross, Georgia. Fee: $30. Juror: Scott Canty. Contact Robert Anderson, Artshow.com, 4388 Wickershire Way, Norcross, GA 30092; info@artkudos.com; www.artkudos. com/callforentries.html. ‰ Entries are being accepted through July 1 for Art of Fine Craft 2009, to take place October 1–November 8 in Lincoln, Nebraska. Fee: $30 for three entries. Jurors: Jason Briggs, Victoria Goro-Rapoport, Lulu Smith, Jess Starkel, and Sonya Clark. Contact Regina O’Rear, Nebraska Wesleyan University and Lux Center for the Arts, 5000 Saint Paul Ave., Lincoln, NE 68502; tel. 402.465.2529; rorear@nebrwesleyan.edu; www.luxcenter.org. ‰ Digital submissions are being accepted through July 1 for the Lewis C. Weinberg Biennial Sculpture Competition, to take place October 4–September 1, 2011 in Skokie, Illinois. The competition is open to monumental outdoor sculptures by sculptors living in Illinois or contiguous states. Contact Barbara Goldsmith, Skokie Northshore Sculpture Park, PO Box 692, Skokie, Illinois 60076; tel. 847.679.4265; info@sculpturepark.org; www.sculpturepark.org/ WeinbergCompetition.htm. ‰ Digital entries will be accepted through July 3 for V Fira de Ceràmica 2009, to take place October 15–18 in El Vendrell, Spain. Contact Patronat Municipal de Serveis Culturals, La Rambla 24, El Vendrell, 43700 Spain; tel.
‰ Residents of CO, MT, NM, and WY may submit entries through July 15 for Continental Divide, to take place September–November in Arvada, Colorado. Jurors: Bebe Alexander, Linda Ganstrom, and Collin Parson. Contact Linda Ganstrom, NCECA, 77 Erie Village Square, Erie, CO 80516-6996; tel. 866.266.2322; office@NCECA.net; www.nceca.net. ‰ Artists of all media are invited to submit entries by July 18 for a National Juried Competition recognizing excellence in craft and fine art. The exhibition will take place in Greenville, North Carolina from August 28September 26, 2009. A complete prospectus may be viewed at www.emergegallery.com. For further details, contact Vicky Fanberg, Emerge Gallery & Art Center, 404 S. Evans St., Greenville, NC 27858; tel. 252.551.6947; Vicky@ emergegallery.com. ‰ Digital submissions of ceramic art that fits within one cubic foot are being accepted through August 1 for Clay3 National Juried Ceramics Exhibit, to take place October 23–November 21 in Warrenville, Illinois. Fee: $25 for two entries. Juror: Mary Kay Botkins. Contact Marie Gnesda, ClaySpace, 28W210 Warrenville Rd., Warrenville, IL 60555; tel. 630.393.2529; info@clayspace.net; www.clayspace.net.
Ceramics Exhibitions
‰ A Profound Legacy: The Pottery of Mela Youngblood takes place through May 28 at King Galleries of Scottsdale, 7100 Main St., #1, Scottsdale, Arizona.
‰ New Work by John Glick takes place through May 29 at Clay Gallery, 335 Main St., Ann Arbor, Michigan. ‰ The 20th Annual California Clay Competition Exhibit takes place through May 29 at The Artery, 207 G St., Davis, California. ‰ New Works in Porcelain: Lotus Series, featuring works by Dorothy Feibleman, takes place through May 30 at Mobilia Gallery, 358 Huron Ave., Cambridge, Massachusetts, www.mobilia-gallery.com. ‰ New Work by Joe Vitek takes place through May 30 at Baltimore Clayworks, 5707 Smith Ave., Baltimore, Maryland.
Dan Finch Pottery presents the Autumn ’09 Weekend Workshop
featuring guest artists
Tom & Elaine Coleman
‰ Linda S. Fitz Gibbon: Ceramic Plates, an exhibition of wall works, takes place through May 30 at the Rominger West Winery, 4602 Second Street, Suite 4, Davis, California. ‰ Potters on Paper: Selections from the Collection, featuring works by Rudy Autio, Jun Kaneko, Richard Shaw, Peter Shire, Robert Sperry, Akio Takamori, and Patti Warashina, takes place through May 31 at ASU Art Museum Ceramics Research Center Arizona State University, Mill Ave. and Tenth St., Tempe, Arizona. ‰ Small Favors IV, New Work by Julia Galloway, and New Work by Sharif Bey take place through May 31 at The Clay Studio, 139 N. Second St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ‰ A Potter in West Africa, featuring works by Ann Schunior, takes place through May 31 at Clever Hand Gallery, 52 Central St., Wellesley, Massachusetts. ‰ Featured Artist exhibition, with works by David Hiltner, takes
Saturday, October 31, 9-5 Sunday, November1,9-3 Registration Fee:
$175
includes continental breakfast, lunch both days, and dinner on Saturday evening to register, please visit
www.danfinch.com call (252) 235-4664 or e-mail dan.finch@earthlink.net
CLAYTIMES·COM n May/June 2009
‰ Tonight, Tomorrow and Forever, featuring works by Kathy Ruttenberg, takes place through May 23 at Clay Art Center, 40 Beech St., Port Chester, New York.
‰ Transitions, featuring works by Bob Dixon, takes place through May 29 at Illinois Wesleyan University, Merwin Gallery, 6 Ames Plaza W., Bloomington, Illinois.
Hot Stuff I News & Events
0034.977.66.56. 84; ceramica@ elvendrell.net; www.elvendrell.net/ default2.aspx.
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CLAYTIMES·COM n May/June 2009
‰ Feats of Clay takes place through May 31 at Lincoln Arts Center, 580 Sixth St., Lincoln, California. ‰ Firing a Legacy takes place through June 1 at Pence Gallery, 212 D St., Davis, California. ‰ New Work exhibitions, featuring works by Kusakabe and Marc Lancet, takes place through June 5 at TRAX Gallery, 1812 Fifth St.,. Berkeley, California. ‰ No Two Alike, featuring works by Andy Brayman and Ayumi Horie, takes place through June 6 at Greenwich House Pottery, 16 Jones St., New York, New York. ‰ Mentor: Honoring the Historical Relationship Between Master and Apprentice, takes place through June 7 at Cone 10 Studios and Clay Gallery, 285 Meeting St., Charleston, South Carolina. ‰ From the Melting Pot into the Fire: Contemporary Ceramics in Israel takes place through June 7 at Mint Museum of Craft and Design, 220 N. Tryon St., Charlotte, North Carolina. ‰ Recent Ceramics by Ron Meyers takes place May 29–June19 at AKAR, 257 E. Iowa Ave., Iowa City, Iowa. ‰ Born of Fire: One Year Anniversary, featuring works by Margaret Tafoya, takes place June 11–18 at King Galleries of Scottsdale, 7100 Main St., #1, Scottsdale, Arizona. ‰ Dirt On Delight: Impulses that form Clay, featuring works by Kathy Butterly, Lucio Fontana, Viola Frey, Jeffry Mitchell, George Ohr, Beverly Semmes, Arlene Shechet, Peter Voulkos, Beatrice Wood, and Betty Woodman, takes place through June 21 at Institute of Contemporary Art, University of Pennsylvania, 118 South 36th St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
‰ Painted Clayworks: Ceramics and the Graphic Arts takes place through June 20 at Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft, 715 W. Main St., Louisville, Kentucky. ‰ Jersey Shore Clay National 2009 takes place May 23–June 24 at m.t. burton gallery and 19th Street Ceramic Studio, 1819 N. Long Beach Blvd., Surf City, New Jersey. ‰ Featured Artist exhibition, with works by McKenzie Smith, takes place June 1–30 at Red Lodge Clay Center, 123 S. Broadway, Red Lodge, Montana. ‰ Warren MacKenzie takes place June 13–July 3 at TRAX Gallery, 1812 Fifth St., Berkeley, California. ‰ Recent Ceramics works by Kevin Snipes and Featured Artist works by Tara Wilson take place June 26–July 17 at AKAR, 257 E. Iowa Ave., Iowa City, Iowa. ‰ Journeys in Clay: Contemporary Ceramics 2009, featuring works by Katheryn Battles, Susan Beecher, Marybeth Bishop, Steven Fabrico, Frank Georgini, Ruth Sachs, Shoshanna Snow, and Joan Snyder, takes place May 30–July 18 at Greene County Council on the Arts, Main St., Windham, New York.
M.F.A. in Ceramic Arts The M.F.A. and Graduate Certificate in Ceramic Arts provide students with skills and knowledge from which to build a strong aesthetic direction.
Kevin Crowe
Multichambered Kiln Wood Firing: May 2, 9 and 16
Throwing Large Forms: July 6-11 Pamela Theis Alternative Kilns and Firings: May 29-31 Joyce Michaud East Asian Coil Technique: June 6-7 Ceramic Sculpture: July 18-30 Masters’ Throwing: August 6-9 Glaze Application: August 29-30 Antonio Mendez Portrait Sculpture: August 21-23 and 28 Visit Hood’s Web site for more information. Hood College Graduate School Art Department (301) 696-3456 n Fax (301) 696-3531 www.hood.edu/ceramics Hood College subscribes to a policy of equal educational and employment opportunities.
‰ Curiosities, featuring works by Lindsay Feuer, Kathleen Royster Lamb, Kate MacDowell, and Andy Rogers; and The Way I See It, featuring works by Gina Bobrowski and James Tisdale, take place June 12–July 18 at Santa Fe Clay, 1615 Paseo de Peralta, Santa Fe, New Mexico. ‰ Hamada: Three Generations of Japanese Potters, featuring works by Shinsaku Hamada, Shoji Hamada, and Tomoo Hamada, takes place June 13–July 20 at Pucker Gallery, 171 Newbury St., Boston, Massachusetts. ‰ The Artist is in the Details, featuring works by David Furman, takes place through July 25 at American Museum of Ceramic Art, 340 S. Garey Ave., Pomona, California. [
To list your clay conferences, calls for entries, exhibitions, and ceramic news items in Clay Times, please e-mail the complete details to: claytimes@gmail.com, with “What’s Hot” in the subject line, or visit www.claytimes.com and click on the “What’s Hot” link to fill out a submission form online.
CLAYTIMES·COM n May/June 2009
‰ Annual Members Exhibition of the Bay Area Pottery Posse, featuring works by Christa Assad, Rae Dunn, Josie Jurczenia, Sara Kagen, Mary Mar Keenan, Sara Paloma, and Whitney
Smith, takes place June 6–June 28 at MudFire Clayworks and Gallery, 175 Laredo Dr., Decatur, Georgia.
Hot Stuff I News & Events
place through May 31 at Red Lodge Clay Center, 123 S. Broadway, Red Lodge, Montana.
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State of Clay
T
he Sixth State of Clay Exhibition was recently on view at the Lexington Arts & Crafts Society in Lexington, Massachusetts (www. lexingtonma.org/LACS). Organized by the Ceramics Guild and funded in part by a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council as well as private and corporate sponsors, this biennial show focuses on contemporary, innovative work by Massachusetts clay artists. Jim Lawton, Associate Professor of Ceramics at UMass Dartmouth, juried this year’s 285 entries submitted by 106 artists working quite broadly across the ceramic spectrum.
Fossil by Steve Murphy. Honorable Mention.
Lawton chose 76 pieces to represent the exhibit: functional to sculptural vessels, wall-based pictorial and dimensional work, figurative work, and according to Lawton, “those pieces that, always delightfully, defy category. When I look at work, I want to be moved—to be challenged by what the work has to say and the quality of how it says it. I appreciate the terrifying and the beautiful, the nuanced and the bold, the whimsical and the serious—a heart that beats. I was not disappointed. The technology (of digital images) made it possible to zoom in to look at color and surface relationships in the forms, which further assisted me in making my decisions.”
CLAYTIMES·COM n May/June 2009
He traveled to Lexington to judge prize -winning entries and to present a gallery talk at the opening reception. Twelve awards were given: Best Vessel of Show went to an elegantly tall wood-fired covered jar by Daniel Molyneux. Lawton called ‘Shadow Jar’ “a tour de force of vessel making with its masculine, geometric, architectural edges that define the structure, and a fluidity of movement in the twisting foot. All that gesture is the mark of a potter.”
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He selected Shaun Lynch’s “War Memorial 2” for Best Sculpture of Show, adding that it was “a very provocative piece, with a commanding reference to the Capitol in Washington. The writhing figures on the dome speak to the state’s power to wage war while the clay construction expresses the fragility of the state.”
Tulipiere by Monica Ripley. Juror’s Award.
Juror’s Awards were given to Claudia Olds Goldie and Keri Straka for “Woman with Beads” and “Longing”, respectively. Jim noted that Woman with Beads was “a strong piece, operating on multiple levels” and described the colorful “Longing” as “three fleshy porcelain vessels sitting on a red blood corpuscle create a sizzling relationship between the place and figurative elements.” Juror awards were also presented for John Bennard’s Teabox, described by Lawton as “the work of an original thinker ... an artist responding to the tradition of tea by
Phoenician Glass by Sonia Simoun. Honorable Mention. making up his own rules” and for Monica Ripley’s Tulipiere: “extraordinary shape and proportions; all it needs for completion is a tulip.” In addition, the juror bestowed awards to Megumi Naitoh for her tile mosaic wall piece, “Life in Real Life and Virtual Life,” which presented three optical images to the viewer; to Eileen Braun for “Galaxy,” a highly textured, rhythmic black-and-white porcelain bottle; and for Sonia Simoun’s “Phoenician Glass” sculpture, with its electrically illuminated stained glass inserts. Kate Oggel’s sculptural “Intrados Series #28,” Steve Murphy’s anagama-fired “Fossil,” and Naoko Matsumoto’s nerikomi stoneware
Intrados Series #28 by Kate Oggel. Honorable Mention. Shadow Jar by Daniel Molyneux. Best of Show.
Longing by Keri Straka. Juror’s Award.
Woman with Beads by Claudia Olds Goldie. Juror’s Award.
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CLAYTIMES·COM n May/June 2009
18
Multiple Vessels as a Pottery Image Patrick Horsley
23 raku– 7 Cu. ft., Cone 10
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Master Workshop Personalized Pots: Surface, Form & Problem Solving Julia Galloway
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Raku, bisque or glaze in Olympic raku gas kilns. The unique firing chamber keeps temperature hot inside the kiln even when opened. Sizes range from 18” to 28” wide to accommodate small to large pieces. Propane or natural gas.
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Further Glaze Tests Yield Striking New Recipes
T
his topic actually began over a year ago with a column I did on the unity formula, and how it could be used to better understand how a glaze works. In that column, I used a cone 10 tomato red recipe as an example glaze, analyzed its unity formula, and did a series of tests to figure out what combination of elements caused it to turn red. As a follow-up to that column (which seemed to be of interest to many, judging from my e-mail), I used that formula to generate a series of tests to find out if I could improve on the original recipe, either by tweaking its proportions or by altering the particular fluxes used in the recipe. In one of those tests, I added enough boron oxide (B2O3) to lower the maturing temperature to cone 6 (though I never tested it at that temperature). It still worked just fine at cone 10, and I mentioned in the article that, at least in theory, it might be possible to get that version of the glaze to work at that lower temperature.
John chose #13 (third row from the top, third tile from the left) as the glaze variation that he felt looked most promising. The mixtures above and to the right of #13 have melted, but are underfired, with pinholes and/or crawling. Others scattered across the lower half of the grid also seemed to produce interesting results, varying in surface from gloss to satin and crystalline. I thought that #18 and #19 looked particularly promising, and ran a number of tests on them, which I’ll discuss further in my next column. You’ll notice that while square #13 (the one that John chose to investigate) has a very nice, satin surface, it didn’t turn red, despite the 8% iron included in the recipe (the amount I had included in the original cone 10 reduction version). John rightly guessed that he might need to adjust the amount of iron in the glaze. He produced a series of tiles that contained from zero to 20 percent additions of iron (in 2% increments). Tiles with 2% to 6% iron were an increasingly darker green, the tile with 8% iron was both green and red, and the ones with either 10% or 12% iron were a perfect, satin tomato red (with the 12% version being slightly darker and more variegated). Above 12% iron, the glaze turns a dark, metallic plum, and then black. These tests perfectly illustrated that the new cone 6 oxidation version of the glaze needed more iron than the original cone 10 reduction version, that the optimum amount was fairly flexible, and that 9%
to 12% iron would give positive results— depending on the purity of the red iron oxide that was used, and the way the glaze was fired and cooled. Did someone say firing? I should point out that John’s firing schedule is also responsible for his success. Here’s the schedule that John programs into his computer-controlled kiln: 1. Fire at 200° F per hour to cone 6. 2. Allow the kiln to cool on its own to 1800° F. 3. Fire down (that is, use the power of the kiln to cool slowly) at the rate of 150° per hour, continuing down to 1300° F. 4. Below 1300°, let the kiln cool naturally. It turns out that John’s firing cycle (or, more accurately, his cooling cycle) is crucial for the success of this glaze. Without this slow cooling, the red crystals that give this glaze its color don’t have time to develop, and it is a less interesting brown color. Besides the development of color, the slow cooling has another effect: this glaze develops a very pleasant satin texture that’s quite nice to the touch. As a follow-up to these excellent tests, John tried a variety of other things in an attempt to improve on this glaze. Some of the tests varied the amounts of bone ash in the glaze, some added lithium carbonate, and others used alternate sources of iron. Increasing the amounts of bone ash in the glaze produced no noticeable improvement. The tests that had an addition of 2% lithium carbonate were less red than the original when mixed with 10% iron, but with 12% iron it produced very interesting, bright, spangly little crystals in the glaze. Varying the source of iron also produced interesting results. The addition of yellow iron oxide caused crawling, though the
CLAYTIMES·COM n MAY/JUNE 2009
That’s how I intended to leave it, until John Post contacted me last summer. John took my recipe, fired it to cone 6, and found that it was, indeed, mature. He then ran it through a Currie grid to find its optimum levels of alumina and silica (see Fig. 1, next page). A Currie Grid, for those of you who aren’t familiar, is a process that was invented by Australian potter and teacher Ian Currie. It is a series of tests that allows the artist to fine-tune the amounts of alumina and silica in a glaze. It works by removing the ingredients that contain just alumina and/or silica, and using that glaze as a base. It appears as the square on the lower left-hand corner of a 35-square grid. In the mixtures above that corner, the amount of alumina is progressively increased, with the highest amounts in the upper row. On the mixtures to the right of the lower-left corner, the silica is gradually increased, reaching its highest
level on the right side of the grid. Moving up diagonally from lower-left to upperright gradually increases both alumina and silica. The squares are numbered, beginning with “#1” in the upper left and moving to the right with numbers 2, 3, 4 and 5, then continuing with the second line, etc.—just like reading text in English.
by PETE PINNELL
Perspectives I As Far As I Know
Tomato Reds At Cone 6
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Perspectives I As Far As I Know
Cone 6 Tomato Reds colors produced in those tests were also good. Tests using “natural” red iron oxide were as red as those made with Spanish red iron oxide, if not redder. These tests seemed to indicate that the source of the iron used wasn’t as important as the relative purity of that source, and as long as the raw qualities of the iron didn’t cause other problems (like crawling), then a variety of iron sources would work.
Fig. 1: A Currie Grid developed from a Tomato Red recipe. John’s #13 is the third row down, third tile from the left.
Finally, adding 2% rutile to the red resulted in a pleasant pumpkin orange color. After seeing John’s results, I decided to fire my original #3 variation (the one containing boron) to cone 6 and, like John, found that it needed additional iron to develop into a bright tomato red (10-12% was good). It has a lower alumina and higher silica level than John’s, with the result that it has a similar color, but is a bit shinier. John’s test piqued my curiosity, and my student assistant and I ran several hundred tests fired in a variety of different cycles. In particular, we tried doing some long soaks at various temperature during the cooling, with some pretty striking results. Next time, I’ll report on those tests, and provide a few nice new recipes. You can see more photographs of John’s tests and the complete set of grid recipes, along with his pots at: http://www.johnpost. us/. [
CLAYTIMES·COM n May/June 2009
Peter Pinnell is Hixson-Lied Professor of Art at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. You can reach him at ppinnell1@unl.edu.
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Fig. 2: John Post’s Tomato Red with Spanish Red Iron Oxide at (reading left to right) 8%, 10%, 12%, and 14%.
Fig. 3: John Post’s Tomato Red with addition of 2% Lithium Carbonate plus Spanish Red Iron Oxide at (from left to right) 8%, 10%, 12%, and 14%.
courtesy of John Post and Pete Pinnell
John Post’s Tomato Red Cone 6 oxidation pictured in Figs. 2 & 3, opposite page Ferro Frit 3134 Nepheline Syenite Bone Ash Magnesium Carbonate Whiting EPK Silica TOTAL
11.0% 23.6 7.9 6.3 7.9 21.6 21.7
Readers Share I Glaze Recipes
Great Glazes
100.0%
Variation One: To develop bright little crystals in the glaze, add 2% lithium carbonate (without diminishing anything else) Variation Two: To alter the glaze color from red to pumpkin orange, add 2% rutile
Pete’s #3 Tomato Red Cone 6 oxidation Ferro Frit 3134 Kona F-4 Feldspar Bone Ash Magnesium Carbonate Whiting EPK Silica TOTAL
100.0%
Each formula is provided in percentage (by weight). Results vary with clay bodies and firing conditions; always test first to be sure you’re happy with the results. To mix a glaze batch to store in a 5-gallon bucket, multiply each percentage ingredient by 50 grams (for a half-bucket with room for dipping) or 100 grams (for a very full bucket). It is the responsibility of the user to have glazes tested for stability. [
CLAYTIMES·COM n MAY/JUNE 2009
9.8% 33.6 10.7 5.9 3.8 12.5 23.7
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Readers Share I Tips & Techniques
The Slurry Bucket Looking for helpful studio tips? Got some to share? This is the place... Dual-Purpose Packing
Beachcombed Texture Tools
To make packing for (and packing up after) a show easier, I have switched from newsprint/newspaper to cloth bags. I was able to get some upholstery material at a steep discount (free) and made up a series of different sized bags (I cut a rectangle and sewed up the two opposite sides). The upholstery material is quite thick. The bags are ultimately reusable (I have been using mine for eight years). They have a dual purpose: to protect the pottery in transit and to clean the pottery (any dust on a piece is wiped off as it is taken out of the bag).
Every year, my family goes to the beach for our summer vacation. Just like many people, I collect shells that I see along the beach. Since I’m always on the lookout for tools or textures for my clay projects, I realized that these same shells would be perfect for textures on my pots or other projects. Not only are they good for various textures or impressions, if you can get the right shell, it can also be used as a tool since it won’t warp or become water-logged in any way. Chad Fisher, Cross Junction, VA [
After each show, I will take the empty bags and stack them in size groups, then store them in empty bins. When it is time to pack for a show (or after a kiln opening), I take the stacks of empty bags from my bins and re-fill the now empty bins with cloth bags filled with pottery. Packing in the cloth bags works well—I’ve had no broken pieces in the last eight years.
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Send us your useful clay tip or technique to share with our readers. Mail with your T-shirt size to: The Slurry Bucket, c/o Clay Times, PO Box 365, Waterford, VA 20197.
Jan Katz, Curator of the Center for Southern Craft and Design at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art in New Orleans, was previously a jewelry designer for more than a dozen years. She was also an art consultant for another dozen years. We talked about collectors, mugs, finding new work, and what she looks for when selecting them. A few years ago, Katz organized a show called, “The Art of the Mug” at the Ogden Museum. Based on that experience, and feedback from her audience, cups became her preferred form when helping beginning collectors gain confidence as they start collecting craft objects. Lana Wilson: Are cups so approachable because they are small, familiar, and not outrageously expensive? Jan Katz: A cup, skillfully made, is a good starting point for both new and experienced collectors. And yes, it’s safer to make a few mistakes at that price point. But more importantly, when choosing a cup, you begin an intimate dance with the maker. Bring the cup to your mouth, feel the weight of it, and the fit of the handle in your hand. You see the actual turn of the cup’s lip and how that clay lip fits against your lips. It should be a luxurious slow dance, and then a rational “deconstruction” of what appeals to you ... the form, the glaze, the gestural markings, the line of the handle. These visual choices are the basis, albeit in different terms, for anything one chooses to collect—knowing what appeals to you, and why. That’s the power of appreciating an object, just as the love of an object has power over you.
For me, the fundamental question—does a piece speak to you on a visceral level—is the most important one of all. The importance of listening to that intuitive response, the one you discovered in that dance with the maker, is the basis for building the confidence to collect. Wilson: So you are asking people to relax and be comfortable with what they respond to, and
Katz: Yes, this is a good starting point and people tend to make excellent decisions if they are open and willing to respond to a piece on a very basic level. Of course, I don’t want to diminish the importance of reading, visiting museums and galleries, and attending auctions, all of which are crucial to creating an informed collector and building a strong collection, no matter its size. Wilson: I know you had a show where you asked potters for drawings of their mugs before they sent in their work. How did that work out? Katz: Based on that experience, it seems to me that potters prefer not to draw. I know as a jeweler I felt the rush to create; I didn’t want to stop to draw, but rather let the immediacy of material, form, or color become my partner and play an equal part in the process of creation. It was easier for me to move into the “creative zone” working strictly through the medium. Wilson: That is certainly true for me. I can’t quickly draw the slight slump or bulge of soft clay and it takes too long to show deep texture and shallow subtle texture. I want to just roll out the clay and start after I have maybe drawn rough quick shapes. I have always felt I was supposed to draw more, but maybe those failure pots are my first rough threedimensional drawings. You have a theory about the differences between non-degree granting art centers like Penland and Arrowmont,* as compared with ceramic degree university programs. Katz: Yes, I am interested in the synergy of places like Arrowmont and Penland. These
non-degree granting art centers become a vortex for the larger craft community and the traditions of all craft media. It is an atmosphere different from a school, where there isn’t the same professor for two or three years holding so much power and influence over students. Wilson: So those craft centers offer something important, although different from the ceramic degrees in universities? Katz: It seems that way to me. Many students fresh out of universities have trouble breaking away from the influence of their professors. At Penland*, Haystack, Anderson Ranch, Arrowmont, etc. that tendency to emulate seems less pervasive—students are not in a competitive situation for a grade or a future ceramics teaching position. And as with everything, when learning is an enjoyable process, creativity seems to be heightened. Wilson: Tell me what you are looking for when you seek new work for the Center for Southern Craft and Design. Katz: I look for potters who honor tradition, but bring their work forward in a contemporary way. I am always looking for thoughtful work, imbued with integrity. I stay away from derivative work. Wilson: You have a story of an artist who had an unusual way of reviving herself when she was feeling stuck. Katz: Yes, she was a nationally known painter who, when blocked in her own progression, would revert to painting in her mentor’s style until she felt strong enough to emerge in a new and intuitive way once again.
CLAYTIMES·COM n May/June 2009
I do a series at the museum entitled, “Collecting 101.” We discuss the process of building a collection. Panels include artists, curators, teachers, gallery directors, auctioneers, and museum professionals. The series starts broadly, and then focuses on a specific medium. We talk about building collections—how you begin and ways to nurture connoisseurship.
to respect their gut reaction to a piece?
by LANA Wilson
Perspectives I Beneath the Surface
Jan Katz: Thoughts from a Curator
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On Sale Now:
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Wilson: Final thoughts?
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Katz: Just something I’ve observed over the years, and an easy trap to fall in: Try to avoid becoming static. If you have no time to experiment, you are putting your work at risk. You become stale to both yourself and the people interested in your work.
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I realize that the studio potter is the maker, the salesperson, the PR department, the accountant, the packer, the shipper, etc. The pressure is tremendous to make what you know sells well. But finding time to experiment and develop is crucial to your future viability. And I have to add, clay artists are wonderful to work with. They are open, kind and generous. As one potter told me when I made that generalization, “That’s why you see the “kiln gods”—potters are accustomed to disappointment.”
CLAYTIMES·COM n MAY/JUNE 2009
The earTh’s BesT Clays
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(cont. from previous page)
“If you have no time to experiment, you are putting your work at risk. You become stale to both yourself and the people interested in your work.” — Jan Katz
g r in lo ur co at ll- s! fe fu age w of No ns le im ze p do sam
Perspectives I Beneath the Surface
Thoughts from a Curator
ANOTHER GREAT RESOURCE!
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Asheville, NC
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*Some of the Websites for residential nondegree granting art schools are below. There are certainly more places than these to take classes and happily immerse yourself. www.andersonranch.org/ www.arrowmont.org www.folkschool.org/ www.haystack.org/cms/ www.missa.ca/ www.idyllwildarts.org/summer/programs/adult_ arts_center/hot_ clay/hot_clay.html www.penland.org www.petersvalley.org www.shakerag.org To learn about the Sept. 17-19, 2009 weekend handbuilding CERF Benefit workshop with four handbuilders in Philadelphia, log onto: http://sandiandneil.com/handbuilt-event. [
Slip Decorating with trails & stencils by judi munn
RECIPES Crystal White Glaze Cone 10-12 used with the blue or brown slip Custer Feldspar Kaolin Whiting Silica Dolomite Rutile
Complex decoration is easily achieved with the use of stencils cut from overhead transparencies, and outlines from a homemade slip trailer.
I
first started using slip in 1992, during my apprenticeship at the Ozark Folk Center with David and Becki Dahlstedt. I spent 11 years working with “simple” brush and slip trailing designs. Eventually I began to work with more complicated combinations using layers of slip, slip trailing, brushwork, and sgraffito to create depth to the surface. In an effort to make a repeatable product, I experimented with handmade stencils. I tried newspaper first. That worked very well, but the stencils were short-lived. After trying several other materials, I settled on flexible overhead transparencies. These worked great and have proven to be quite durable. They work especially well on flat surfaces, such as plates and platters. Cylindrical pieces, such as mugs or vases, must be straight-sided, or must be flattened.
Making A Stencil The first step is to draw the idea that you want to work with on a piece of paper. Then either enlarge or reduce it if you need to. The drawings for the stencils can be simple or complex. Geometric shapes or silhouettes of animals or plants are a good place to start (see Fig. 1, next page). The more detail you put on the interior
Woo’s Blue Glaze Cone 10-11 Custer Feldspar Silica Ball Clay Whiting
TOTAL
add Rutile Red Iron Oxide Bentonite
42.0% 27.0 13.0 18.0 100.0% 4.0 4.0 2.0
Robin Hopper Slip Cone 6-13 Ball Clay Kaolin Silica Custer Feldspar
TOTAL
For blue, add Cobalt Carbonate For brown, add Red Iron Oxide
75.0% 10.0 10.0 5.0 100.0% 2.0% 10.0%
CLAYTIMES·COM n May/June 2009
The following is a process that I have found to be useful in my work. These instructions are for use with overhead transparencies, but can be adapted to other materials (newspaper, latex, screen, or flat sheet of latex.). You can choose to just leave the decoration as a simple stencil, or add further embellishments with slip trailing, brushing, or sgraffito.
TOTAL
31.0% 5.0 10.0 27.0 17.0 10.0 100.0%
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