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TIMES
Volume 13 • Number 6 November/December 2007
Eden Revisited:
Ceramic Art of Kurt Weiser
A Handbuilt Basket Project for the Holidays Hot New Claywork from Josh Copus’s Noborigama Essential Packing Tips To Help Your Pots Survive a Journey An EZ-Way to Take Pot Shots Like A Pro Jafar Shoja’s Dysfunctional Ceramic Teapots $ 7.50 U.S./$9 CAN
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TIMES
Clay
November/December 2007 Volume 13, Number 6
cover exhibit 20 Eden Revisited: The Ceramic Art of Kurt Weiser Portland’s Museum of Contemporary Craft hosts this one-man show devoted to the ingenious surface imagery that springs to life on ceramic works by Kurt Weiser.
features 34 Marketing Your Pottery: The Quest for Wow! When planning the strategy to help your pottery business grow, a ho-hum approach just isn’t good enough.
39 Ship Happens Marking the “fragile” warning on a box is not a protective incantation! Let our experienced pot unpackers share tips to ensure your pots arrive at their destination intact. Crystalline-glazed vase by Holly McKeen. Turn to page 34 to see more.
41 Material Influence: The Works of Josh Copus This North Carolina potter is literally digging the clay scene all around him to produce a body of work that’s totally hot!
45 Illusions of Teapots Okay, so they’re not really teapots, but Jafar Shoja’s works kinda look that way, don’t they?
51 EZ Cube
Jafar Shoja’s Red Dragon. 12" x 8" x 6". His story begins on page 45.
Tom Zwierlein shares his fascination with a pop-up tent that’s helping art photographers yield eye-popping images. 7
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On the cover: Europa by Kurt Weiser. 27" x 17". Cast porcelain, china paint, bronze. From collection of Sara and David Lieberman; one of several works on exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Craft, Portland, Oregon.
November/December 2007 • Volume 13, Number 6
departments 10 EDITOR’S DESK A look at Clay Times, past and present
11 YOUR WORDS Our readers set the record straight
15 WHAT’S HOT Clay world news, events, and calls for entries
33 GREAT GLAZES This month’s hot formula: a “fix-it” glaze for refiring your mistakes!
48 THE GALLERY A selection of unique works by CT readers
59 POTTERY CLASSES Where you can learn claywork in the U.S. & abroad
63 SLURRY BUCKET TIPS Save time and trouble with these studio-tested tips & techniques.
Tea Bowl by Tom Zwierlein, who photographed this work with the aid of a pop-up lighting tent. See page 51.
65 CLASSIFIED MARKETPLACE Goods and services offered especially for active clay artists
columns 55 KILNS & FIRING 23 AS FAR AS I KNOW “Practical Use of the Unity Formula” by Pete Pinnell
27 BENEATH THE SURFACE “This Holiday Season, Could You Help A Fellow Potter?” by Lana Wilson
“Apples vs. Oranges: Using the Right Comparison?” by Marc Ward
57 STUDIO HEALTH & SAFETY “Ceramic Talc: Two Sides of a Story” by Monona Rossol
64 AROUND THE FIREBOX 29 TEACHING TECHNIQUES “A Simple Handbuilt Basket” by Bill van Gilder
53 TOOL TIMES 8
“There’s No Single Way” by Vince Pitelka
“A Tiny Studio and a Tall Extruder” by David Hendley
66 BOOKS & VIDEOS “Three Books on Picasso’s Ceramics” review by Steve Branfman
Bottle Pair by Josh Copus, who digs his clay from a field alongside a local creekbed. See story, page 41.
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Editor’s Update
Dreaming by Jo Anna Fireman.
Lost in Cyberspace We’ve received a number of favorable comments on Lana Wilson’s recent column (September/October 2007 Clay Times) about Jo Anna Fireman, the former psychotherapist who traded in her career to become a full-time clay artist. What I didn’t know as we were producing that issue—that I do know now—is that Lana had e-mailed images of Jo Anna’s work along with the text for her column. Unfortunately, the images were apparently lost in cyberspace and never made it to my desk. As you might guess, both Lana and Jo Anna were saddened that the images did not appear along with the story. So to make amends, I am publishing those images here, above. As you can see from the work, Jo Anna clearly has come a long way with her ceramic talents in just a very short time. I think you’ll agree—she seems to have made the right decision when she chose to make a living from her claywork!
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Glaze Safety Ratings: Not Safe to “Assume”
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Also following publication of our previous issue, I was contacted by glaze expert John Hesselberth, who initiated our glaze rating system a few years ago and who has since reviewed most of our published glazes prior to publication for their safety relative to use on functional ware. Those ratings have been published alongside the glaze recipes for quite some time now, to help our readers decide whether or not to use a glaze on surfaces that come into contact with food or drink.
Goat Lady by Jo Anna Fireman.
But I must admit, there have been times when I haven’t provided John with the recipes in advance of publication because I personally considered those glazes “safe,” and didn’t want to bother him with last-minute glaze reviews that I thought unnecessary. Well, you might guess what finally happened: what I assumed to be a glaze which everyone would agree was “safe” ended up as a glaze which John said he would absolutely not consider safe for use on functional ware. This particular glaze, Millring Green, appeared in the “Great Glazes” section (page 57, September/October 2007 Clay Times) with a “two-check” rating, meaning “safe for functional ware.” Please note that this was not John’s rating. He says the glaze should not be considered food-safe because of its low silica level and because it contains a significant amount (3%) of copper carbonate. I sense that there are two ways to view this, and several other glaze formulas, in regard to use on functional ware. I wonder: how would you rate this glaze—food-safe or not, and why? Do you consider our glaze rating system useful? John and I would love to hear your comments! Meanwhile, please note that any future glazes rated specifically by John Hesselberth will be marked as such, so as to avoid any misunderstandings. My thanks to John for his understanding and our kudos to him for the excellent service he has been providing the clay community! — Polly Beach, Editor [
By researching this item, I was lead on an interesting fact chase. Wikipedia lists silicon dioxide’s (silica’s) melting point at 1650° C (±75). In Fahrenheit, that’s 3002° (±167°) which includes Pete’s number, but this is a melting range instead of a fixed number. While I can’t fully explain this, I’ll guess that particle size and purity of the material to be melted would have a good deal to do with when it melts resulting in a range instead of a fixed number. Picky, picky, picky. To further complicate matters, the web page at http://www.azom. com/details.asp?ArticleID=1114 lists silica’s melting point as 1830° C, which would top out at 3326° F. I can’t begin to explain that one because it is a bit higher than cone 37, which is pretty near the hottest cone of all, cone 42 (3659° F). Don’t you just love those Internet “facts”? Bill Hunt Columbus, Ohio Dear Bill,
Pete Pinnell Clay Times Columnist
Bothered by Boron I read with trepidation part 3 of Pete Pinnell’s article on glaze chemistry (JulyAugust 2007), in which he, as promised, included a discourse on boron. The article contained the usual excuses for treating boron as a “stabilizer” in glazes fired to earthenware and stoneware heat work levels. I am astonished that writers and teachers of ceramics continue to misclassify boron in this manner in spite of conclusive evidence that boron functions as a flux in earthenware and stoneware glazes. Frankly, I don’t care whether boron forms a worthless glass at a low temperature, or stabilizes low-temperature enamels, or tap-dances and whistles “Dixie” when heated in an oven. I do care that di-boron trioxide (B2O3) dissociates an atom of oxygen at around 842° F, becoming boron oxide (BO), which is an active flux.
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Editor & Art Director: Polly Beach editorial@claytimes.com Circulation Manager: Rachel Brownell circulation@claytimes.com Advertising Manager: Karen Freeman advertising@claytimes.com Accounts Manager: Nanette Greene accounting@claytimes.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: Mary K. Cloonan • Ellen Grimm Jenna McCracken • Holly McKeen Leigh Taylor-Mickelson Tom Zwierlein 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
Doubters should try this: mix two batches of your most reliable glaze base, then add 10% boric acid to one of the batches. Fire both glazes to maturity on test cups or test tiles placed side-by-side in your kiln, then examine the results. (Tip: you may want to place a catchplate under the test with the added boron.) The glaze with the additional boron will be more fluid every time; therefore, it is not possible that boron functions as a stabilizer
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While converting a glaze formula to its relative proportions of oxide content gives only an approximate description of its characteristics, I have found that including boron in flux unity provides a better description than does treating it as some-
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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That’s another great example of my shortcomings as a proofreader. Now you know why I hire an accountant to do my taxes: the IRS is less forgiving than Clay Times readers when I write “23” and really mean “32.” As for the differing melting temperatures given for silica, I’ve also noticed that: I’ve always assumed that it’s related to differing mesh sizes and/or rates of climb used in the tests, so the temperature “range” provided by Wikipedia is probably the best way to describe this. In any event, I’m just as unlikely to fire to cone 23 as cone 32, so a specific temperature is less interesting to me than the things we can learn about the
Thanks for your correction.
Clay
Spouting Off I Your Words
Here’s a correction and some comments you might want to run regarding Pete Pinnell’s “An Introduction to Glaze Chemistry” in the March/April issue. On the second page of this otherwise brilliantly written article, Pete states that silica melts at “3115° F [1713° C], or about cone 23.” If he’s right about that melting temperature, then silica would instead melt closer to cone 32 (at the standard firing rate of 108° F per hour of heat rise).
relationships between the oxides. For instance, alumina melts at about cone 42 and silica at about cone 32, but together (in certain proportions) they melt at cone 28. To me, that’s pretty cool (though, perhaps I’m easily entertained).
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ceramic art trends, t oo l s & t e c h n i q u e s
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In short, boron plays (at least) three important roles: 1) It helps glazes to melt sooner, so it seems to act as a flux; 2) It stabilizes glassy melts and prevents devitrification, acting as a stabilizer; and 3) It functions as an important, secondary glass former.
Jay Henderson Richlands, Virginia Dear Jay, I’m afraid it’s not that simple. Let’s flip your test around: if adding a “flux” to any mixture makes the mixture melt sooner or run more, then CaO, MgO, SrO, BaO, and ZnO aren’t really fluxes, since any of these can raise viscosity, melting temperature, or both. All one has to do is include any of these in a simple tri-axial blend and you’ll find plenty of proportions at which this occurs. Similarly, if raising the melting point of a glaze is the definition of a stabilizer, then Al2O3 must not be one, since its inclusion often lowers the point at which a glaze melts. As Hermann Seger proved (much to his surprise) 125 years ago, the inclusion of alumina in the most common highfire glaze system (K2O/Na2O-CaO-SiO2) lowers the melting point in a dramatic and undeniable way. (I will be writing more about this in a future column). The addition of silica can also cause the results you describe—just add flint to many silicastarved high-fire matte glazes and watch them run off the pot. By your definition, alumina and silica are also fluxes, at least at times, and in certain proportions. You’re also ignoring the other function of a stabilizer, which is to effect whether a glaze remains in a glassy state, or reorganizes itself into that combination of amorphous and crystalline phases we call matte glazes. Stabilizers play a central role in this, and boron is especially effective in this regard. Just try and formulate a matte glaze that contains an appreciable level of boron, such as one finds in an earthenware glaze, and you’ll see its stabilizing qualities.
I’m not wedded to listing boron in the middle column—as I wrote in the article, I think we need to treat it more like it was in its own column, and try to take into account all its effects, not just one. Thanks for the letter. The more we discuss this and compare notes, the better we all get at understanding this stuff. Pete Pinnell Clay Times Columnist
Proud Owner of an iPod® Just when I was feeling like interest in and demand for art is at its highest level ever, I read Mr. Turnquist’s letter, “The iPod Dilemma.” Now I have conflicting thoughts on the matter: either a) I have my head in the sand and have not noticed the “anti-art culture” out there and that nobody cares about art anymore, or b) Mr. Turnquist had a run-in with a kid wearing a iPod. Now I can assure you, I am not nearly as scholarly as Mr. Turnquist appears to be, and I don’t hang out with collectors and art dealers, so I can honestly say I don’t know how the high-end art market is doing. But I do know this: I go to every craft market and art and music festival in my region and find that they are swarming with parents and their children. I see booths with artists both old and young filled with patrons buying paintings, pottery, and all other [kinds] of art.
As far as art in our schools, yes, I agree with Mr. Turnquist. More funding is always better and as a society we should better support our schools. But let me add, our schools are not completely devoid of art. I walk down the hallways in my son’s elementary school and artwork is hung floor-to-ceiling down the whole length of the halls. In fact, I was so excited last week when my son told me of a field trip to the high school next door so they could do some handbuilding with clay in the high school’s art studio. Yes, that’s clay, kilns, art studio, and high school. How cool is that! No, Mr. Turnquist, I don’t think I have my head in the sand, I don’t think there is a large scale “anti-art culture” out there, I don’t think our world will be “empty of handmade creations,” or “saturated by sameness and banality.” The whole thing about “what portion of the public on the street has even a modicum of knowledge of any form of art,”—how insulting! Come down from your ivory tower. Mr. Turnquist, I don’t believe the “public on the street” thinks art is a “useless endeavor.” In fact, I challenge you to show me a household that doesn’t at least have one piece of art hanging on a wall (copy or original), or a handcut crystal vase they got as a wedding gift, or a handmade coffee cup they bought on vacation, or any other multitude of pieces of art—art that is cherished and appreciated. Mr. Turnquist, I’m 43, I buy pottery, I make pottery as a hobby, I appreciate art, the artist, and the effort. I also own an iPod (along with several million others) and as I am handing over cash to a potter—while wearing my iPod—for a handmade vase, I don’t think he is “dreading” me or considers me an “enemy.” Michael Sligar Baton Rouge, Louisiana [
CLAYTIMES·COM n NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2007
I didn’t have room in my articles to go into the importance of boron as a secondary glass former. The most common visible example is the pretty, bluish-gray haze that boron can create in glossy glazes, especially at earthenware and mid-range temperatures. This is caused by a separation between the boron and silica glasses that is analogous to the separation of oil and vinegar in a salad dressing. If boron were not a glass former, it wouldn’t create this very common, highly visible effect.
That’s why boron is so cool, and why I enjoy including it in glazes—it does so dang much! You make a good point that it can be instructive to place boron with the fluxes to see how that affects the balance of oxides in the formula. In the same vein, it’s also fun to place the boron with the silica, and see how that changes our understanding.
In fact, I can cite the Festival International de Louisiane in Lafayette, Louisiana as an example. The festival, which is 5 days long, has over 20,000 visitors, has more than 100 artists, has dozens of musical and dance groups from around the world, plus a children’s village with dance, music, and hands-on art. You name it, they have it! This festival is all about the visual and performing arts. I’m not sure what the “proverbial word” is that Mr. Turnquist thinks artists need to be spreading, but I’m sure it is being spread at this festival, judging from my 6-year-old son’s excitement about being there.
Spouting Off I Your Words, cont.
thing else or leaving it out and “eyeballing” the result. Pete Pinnell’s discourse on boron is traditional, oft-repeated, and wrong. He should say out loud, ten times, “at earthenware and stoneware heat levels, boron functions as a flux.” I promise his head will not explode.
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ceramic art world news • events • calls for entries Conferences
Hot Stuff I News & Events
What’s Hot ‰ Lectures and round-table discussions on crafts and modernity will be presented November 23-25 during the Neocraft Conference in Nova Scotia, Canada. The registration fee is $200; students receive a $100 discount. For further details, contact Dr. Sandra Alfoldy, Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, 5163 Duke St., Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 3J6; e-mail salfoldy@nscad.ca or conference@neocraft.ca; web address: www.neocraft. ca; telephone (902) 494-8306.
‰ The 23rd Alabama Clay Conference takes place February 8-10, 2008, on the campus of the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, AL. Guest artists will include Jason Briggs of Tennessee, Curtis Benzle of Alabama, and Ching-Yuen of Taiwan. Discount registration fee is $135 ($45/students) through December 30; $160
Tango by Kurt Weiser. 22" x 5". Glazed stoneware with porcelain inclusions. Collection of the artist (whose works are on exhibit through January 6 at the Museum of Contemporary Craft, Portland, Oregon. More images appear on this issue’s cover and in the story appearing on p. 20-22 of this issue.)
($55/students) afterward. For more information, daily schedule, accommodations, directions, and further details about the conference, visit www.alclayconference.org. ‰ The National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) will be holding its 42nd Annual Conference,
“Innovation, Community, Environment,” at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, March 19-22, 2008. Featured guest demonstrators include Ed Eberle, Sandy Brown, Lorna Meadon, and James Tisdale. Additional presenters include several lecturers and panelists on a wide
CLAYTIMES·COM n NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2007
‰ Trade Secrets: Cruisin’ for Clay, the inaugural Clay Times potters conference at sea, takes place January 28-February 2, 2008, on board Royal Caribbean’s luxurious Navigator cruise ship. Mix business with pleasure as you set sail from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida with renowned clay artists Bill van Gilder, Pete Pinnell, and Lisa Orr—en route to beautiful Cozumel, Mexico and Belize City, Belize. Enjoy two full days of awesome demos, lectures, and slide shows by guest artists, mixed with two full days on your own to explore the port cities. To learn more, see page 10 of this issue, and visit www.claytimes.com. (Register by Nov. 15, 2007 for the extended $100 earlybird discount!)
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CLAYTIMES·COM n NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2007
Calls for Entries November submission deadlines ‰ The Limner Gallery of Hudson, New York is requesting digital and slide entries by November 30 for its Emerging Artists 2008 exhibition, to be held March 7-31, 2008. Entry fee is $35 for four images; additional entries are $5 each. Grand prize award: $2,000. View the show prospectus online at: www.slowart.com/ prospectus/ea2008.htm. For further details, contact Emerging Artists 2008, Limner Galleries, 123 Warren St., Hudson, NY 12534, or e-mail: slowart@aol.com. December submission deadlines
‰ The Visual Arts Society of Denton, Texas is accepting entries through December 21 for the 40th Annual National Visual Arts Exhibition, to take place April 10-May 29, 2008. Entry fee is $30/members; $35/non-members for three slides or digital images to be juried by Nic Nicosia. To request a prospectus, send your SASE to the
‰ More than $5,000 will be awarded in conjunction with Big Fish Small Pot: Third International Small Teapot Competition and Show, to take place February 25-March 20, 2008. Digital and slide submissions of small teapots may be entered through December 30. Fee (for three entries) is $40. To request a prospectus, send your SASE to Art Gallery, Saddleback College, 28000 Marguerite Pkwy., Mission Viejo, California 92692. Contact: thuntley@saddleback.edu; http:// gallery.saddleback.edu. ‰ The Hui No`eau Visual Arts Center is requesting entries from its members for the Annual Juried Members Exhibition 2008, to take place January 11 through February 2, 2008. To become a member, call 572-6560. Entry fee: $10; deadline is Dec. 20, 2007. For further details, visit www.huinoeau.com. ‰ The Oregon College of Art and Craft is accepting exhibition proposals for 2008/2009 through December 31. Please send proposals/queries to Arthur DeBow, Oregon College of Art and Craft, Hoffman Gallery, 8254 SW Barnes Rd., Portland, Oregon 97225; or e-mail: adebow@ocac.edu. January submission deadlines ‰ Calls for entries are being accepted through January 10, 2008 for the Strictly Functional Pottery National to be held April 19-May 18, 2008 in historic downtown Lancaster, PA. Linda Arbuckle will serve as this year’s juror. To apply or find out full details on the show, send your self-addressed stamped envelope to Market House Craft Center, PO Box 204, East Petersburg, PA 17520-0204, or log onto the Web site at: www. strictlyfunctionalpotterynational.net. February submission deadlines ‰ Digital entries for the 8th International Ceramics Competition, to take place August 1 - September 30, 2008
CLAYTIMES·COM n NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2007
‰ Jurors Marko Fields, Kate Maury, and Keith Williams are accepting entries from resident clay artists of the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean through December 7 for the Second Biennial Concordia Continental Ceramic Competition. The event will take place Jan. 24-Feb. 20, 2008. Entry fee for three digital or slide submissions is $25/ artist. Several purchase awards are offered. To request a prospectus, send an SASE to Keith Williams, Art Dept., Concordia University, 275 Syndicate St. N, St. Paul, MN 55104, or e-mail: williams@csp.edu.
Visual Arts Society of Texas, PO Box 1281, Denton, TX 76202; visit the Web site at vastarts.org, or e-mail: president@verizon.net.
Hot Stuff I News & Events
variety of topics affecting the clay community. Trade shows, gallery exhibitions, slide and documentary showings, fund-raiser sales, and more will also take place throughout the event. Online registration begins November 1 at www.nceca.net. For additional information, e-mail office@nceca.net or call toll-free 1 (866) 266-2322.
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Hot Stuff I News & Events
best in Texas-made contemporary craft, is accepting entries through March 1, 2008 from Texas resident artists who work with clay as well as wood, fiber, glass, metal, and found/ recycled materials. The exhibition will be on view May 24-August 11 at Houston Center for Contemporary Crafts, Houston, Texas. For further details, visit crafthouson.org; for complete application guidelines, visit callforentry.org.
in Mino, Japan, will be accepted from November 1, 2007-February 4, 2008. Contact: International Ceramics Festival Mino, Executive Committee Office, 4-2-5 Higashi-machi, Tajimi City, Gifu Prefecture, Japan 507-0801; info@icfmino.com; www. icfmino.com; tel: 81 572 25 4111.
‰ CraftTexas 2008, the fifth in a series of juried exhibitions showcasing the
‰ The San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts in San Angelo, Texas is accepting entries postmarked through February 4, 2008 for the 17th San Angelo National Ceramic Competition. For complete details, contact Karen Zimmerly at the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, One Love St., San Angelo, TX 76903, tel. (325) 653-3333. e-mail: museum@samfa.org; Web site: www.samfa.org.
Ceramics Exhibitions
GLAZES INC.
Introducing our new Low-Stone 900 Series colors. Here is the second half of our 37 brand new colors for 900 series low-fire glazes. As always they are lead-free and dinnerware safe. Each color will work with the existing colors to create new layered effects.
‰ Hand and Wheel: Purposeful Pots, featuring the work of Mary Bowron and Jill Hinckley plus new work by gallery members, takes place through November 3 at Creative Partners Gallery, 4600 East West Highway, Bethesda, Maryland. ‰ Parades: Freer Ceramics continues through November 4 at the Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution, 12th St. and Jefferson Dr., Washington, DC. ‰ Naked Clay is on exhibit through November 8 at Artisan Gallery at Woman Made, 685 Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, Illinois. ‰ Fifty American Potters: From the Ceramics Collection of Bruno and Mary Moser runs through November 17 at the Art Museum of Greater Lafayette, 102 S. 10th St., Lafayette, Indiana.
CLAYTIMES·COM n NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2007
‰ Form and Imagination: Women Ceramic Sculptors runs through November 24 at the American Museum of Ceramic Art, 340 S. Garey Ave, Pomona, California.
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‰ Asheville in Atlanta 2007, to feature works by Kyle Carpenter, Emily Reason, William Baker, and Akira Satake, takes place through November 17 at MudFire Gallery, 175 Laredo Dr., Decatur, Georgia.
945 to 949 94 Fenmar Dr. Toronto, ON Canada M9L 1M5
950 to 954 P.O. Box 874 Lewiston, NY US 14092-0874
955 to 958
959 to 962
Phone:(800)970-1970 or (416)747-8310 Fax:(416)747-8320 www.spectrumglazes.com info@spectrumglazes.com
‰ Danish Ceramics runs through November 24 at the Works Gallery, 303 Cherry St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
‰ Johnston and Jones, to feature works by Daniel Johnston and Mark Jones, takes place through November 24 at North Carolina Pottery Center, 250 E. Ave., Seagrove, North Carolina. ‰ Hitomi’s Farewell features the work of Hitomi Shibata through Nov. 24 at the North Carolina Pottery Center, 250 E. Ave, Seagrove, North Carolina.
January 6, 2008 at the Museum of Contemporary Craft, 724 Northwest Davis St., Portland, Oregon. ‰ Getting Together: Ceramics from Manitoba and Quebec takes place through January 13 at Musée des maîtres et artisans du Quebec, 615, Ave. Sainte-Croix, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
‰ Western North Carolina Pottery: The Rodney Henderson Leftwich Collection is on exhibit through January 13, 2008 at the Folk Art Center, MP 382 Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville, North Carolina. ‰ Warren Mackenzie: Legacy of an American Potter is on exhibit through January 20, 2008, at North Dakota Museum of Art, 261 Centennial Dr., Grand Forks, North Dakota. [
Hot Stuff I News & Events
‰ Collaborative Vessels, to feature works by Tony Marsh, Sun Koo Yuh, and Jean-Pierre Larocque, takes place through November 24 at Santa Fe Clay, 1615 Paseo de Peralta, Santa Fe, New Mexico.
‰ Anagama: Out of the Ancient Furnace features the work of Craig Edwards through December 1 at Marshall Area Fine Art Center Gallery, 109 N. 3rd St., Marshall, Minnesota. ‰ Ceramics of Jack Troy takes place through December 14 at Marywood University’s Suraci Gallery, 2300 Adams Ave., Scranton, Pennsylvania. ‰ Ceramics, Ethics and Technology: Materials, Method and Modernism takes place through December 16 at Surrey Art Gallery, 13750-88 Ave., Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. ‰ Eva Zeisel: Extraordinary Designer at 100 takes place through December 30 at the Los Angeles Craft and Folk Art Museum, 5814 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California. ‰ Albert Kahn & Pewabic Pottery is on exhibit through December 31 at Pewabic Pottery, 10125 E. Jefferson Ave., Detroit, Michigan.
‰ The Hand of Toshiko Takaezu is on exhibit through January 1, 2008 at Zanesville Art Center, 620 Military Rd., Zanesville, Ohio. ‰ Eden Revisited: The Ceramic Art of Kurt Weiser is on exhibit through
CLAYTIMES·COM n NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2007
‰ Telling Tales: A Celebration of the Narrative in Contemporary Studio Ceramics, Glass and Sculpture is on exhibit through December 31 at Dashwood Galleries, 100 Seventh Ave., SW #203, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
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CLAYTIMES·COM n SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2007
Opposite page: The Bird Merchant, 1991. Cast porcelain, china paint. 11" x 12½". Courtesy of the Kamm Teapot Foundation.
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Above: Iguana. Cast porcelain, china paint. 17¼" x 9" x 5". Collection of the Arizona State University Art Museum, gift of the Museum Store.
At right: Same piece as above; view of opposite side.
“Peach Tea Picnic” Teapot by Claudia Tarantino. 3" x 11" x 10". Earthenware with underglaze color.
The Ceramic Art of Kurt Weiser
T
his captivating exhibition takes place October 31, 2007-January 6, 2008 at the Museum of Contemporary Craft in Portland, Oregon. It is a mid-career retrospective with an accompanying exhibition catalogue, both of which examine
the stylistic development of Kurt Weiser’s ceramic work from the 1970s to the present. Internationally recognized as a contemporary ceramist and educator, Weiser is known for his technical virtuosity with
porcelain forms and his use of china painting techniques in a distinct contemporary style. His subject matter illustrates lush, mysterious landscapes and distorted narratives set amidst color-saturated flora and fauna that read as voyeuristic candid
CLAYTIMES·COM n SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2007
Eden Revisited:
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CLAYTIMES·COM n NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2007
Red Leaf by Kurt Weiser. 1998. Cast porcelain, china paint. 20" x 12". Collection of Roberta and Bruce Hammer.
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snapshots of the human condition. The exhibition, sponsored by Skutt Ceramic Products, features 40 ceramic objects drawn from the artist’s holdings, the Ceramic Research Center’s collection, and other collections from across the country. It is also funded by a generous grant from the Windgate Charitable Foundation, the exhibition is organized by Arizona State University Art Museum
Ceramic Research Center and its Curator of Ceramics, Peter Held. Museum admission is by donation only. Hours are Tuesday-Sunday, 11am-6pm; Thursday, 11am-8pm. The Museum address is 724 Northwest Davis St., Portland, OR 97209, tel. (503) 223-2654. For further details, email: wendy@museumofcontemporarycraft.org. or log onto: www. museumofcontemporarycraft.org. [
Practical Use of the Unity Formula by PETE PINNELL
I
n the previous four columns on this subject, we’ve worked our way through the steps to understanding how to read a unity molecular formula, or UMF (which is also known as a Seger formula, or simply as a unity formula). As we saw before, with this formula we can learn which oxides are in a glaze, and also see their balance and proportion. With this information we can begin to understand how glazes work, and also begin to see ways to intelligently manipulate a glaze formula to give us the fired results we want. In this column, I’ll show you a standard high-fire glaze that many of you have probably used before, and we’ll explore ways to better understand the glaze, and also how we might use the formula as a jump-off point to develop new glazes. Here’s the glaze we’re going to explore—a classic, called “Tomato Red:”
Tomato Red cone 9-11 reduction
Total of base glaze: add: Bentonite (to prevent settling) Red iron oxide**
45.0% 24.0 7.0 6.0 7.0 11.0 100.0%
2.0 8.0
*I use synthetic bone ash, also known as tricalcium phosphate. Natural bone ash sometimes contains residual organic matter that can spoil in water, resulting
The recipe translates into this unity formula (rounded for clarity):
Unity Formula K2O Na2O CaO MgO
0.07 0.14 0.57 0.22
Al2O3 0.34
SiO2 2.92 P2O5 0.11 8:6:1 Si:Al ratio
Let’s briefly interpret these numbers. In the flux (left hand) column, we see four oxides: potassium, sodium, calcium, and magnesium. Added together, the alkalis (sodium and potassium oxides) make up .21 molecules, while the alkaline earths (calcium and magnesium oxides) add up to .79. This (approximately) 20/80 balance between the alkalis and alkaline earth oxides is remarkably typical for a highfire glaze: most of them have between .15 and .3 molecules of alkali, with the balance being almost entirely alkaline earths. The only thing that jumps out at all is that this is more magnesium than we see in most glossy glazes, though not extraordinarily so. As for the alumina (Al2O3) and silica (SiO2), these amounts are a bit on the low side for a cone 9-10 glaze; but again, they aren’t abnormally so—just low enough that I might expect a little running. The ratio of alumina to silica is just a bit below 9:1, or 9 molecules of silica for each molecule of alumina. Again, this is quite typical for glossy glazes at midrange and high-fire temperatures. Taken as a whole, this looks like a typical highfire glossy glaze that should produce a tenmoku brown-black when you add enough iron. Only one thing stands out as unusual—the P2O5 (phosphorus oxide) in the third column. Could it be causing the glaze to produce a bright, iron red
color instead of a dark, warm black? The best way to find out is to try the glaze without the phosphorus oxide. The problem with trying to take out just the phosphorus is that it is found in a material—tricalcium phosphate—that contains a large portion of one of the fluxes (calcium oxide), so we can’t just leave it out without adjusting the other ingredients. This is where we can take advantage of the unity formula. I placed this formula into the Glaze Calculator section of Hyperglaze (one of several computer programs now available for performing glaze calculations), and came up with a recipe that duplicates the chemistry of the formula, yet without the phosphorus.
Tomato Red without P2O5 Kona F-4 Feldspar Magnesium Carbonate Whiting EPK Flint (Silica) Total: add: Bentonite Red Iron Oxide
45.0 6.0 17.5 7.5 24.0 100.0%
2.0 8.0
However, I hate to assume that salient characteristics of any glaze are dependent on just one element. Besides, as long as I’m firing tests, I’d like to try a few other things and see if I can better understand this glaze. I’m a bit curious about the magnesium oxide. I have the recipes for a number of
CLAYTIMES·COM n NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2007
Kona F-4 Feldspar Flint (Silica) EPK (Kaolin) Magnesium Carbonate Whiting Bone Ash*
in a bucketful of glaze with a truly remarkable, “clear the building!” smell. ** I prefer a very pure, precipitated red iron oxide that I buy from the Archie Bray Foundation clay business in Helena, Montana. This oxide may also be available elsewhere.
Perspectives I As Far As I Know
Back to Basics, Final Part 5
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