Ceramics 1

This course introduces students to working with clay through ceramic processes and techniques. It has an emphasis on using different clay bodies, surface decoration techniques and glaze application. Aspects of form and function will be explored through themes referencing both historical and contemporary ceramics. Ceramics will be considered in relation to the broader arena of visual art, craft, design and contemporary concerns related to materials and place. Work health and safety (WHS) instruction is an integral part of this course. Students may complete this course twice for a maximum credit value of 12 units, provided they enrol in a different topic in each instance/semester. Please note that the course content, assessment structure, and reading list will change depending on the topic and the expertise of the lecturer convening the course. Please refer to the class summary for the specific term in which you wish to enrol for a detailed description. Topics may include, but are not limited to, the following: - Introduction to Wheelformed Ceramics Wheelformed ceramics focuses on the fundamentals of wheel throwing. This includes throwing with terracotta and white stoneware clays, for the making of both tableware and sculptural objects. There is an emphasis on practise as well as experimentation, with a mindfulness towards being resourceful with materials and firing. Thrown work is decorated by working into and onto the surface of the clay using carving, incision, underglaze, oxides and glaze. Practical workings with clay are underscored by lessons on kiln loading and firing. There are weekly lectures which incorporate examples of artists who work with clay on the wheel across both traditional and experimental techniques. There is an emphasis on experimenting with materials, surfaces and form and on considering the politics and poetics of material origins and transformations that are inherent in ceramic practices. - Introduction to Handformed Ceramics In Handformed ceramics, there is a focus on the fundamentals of hand building, including pinching, slab forming, coiling and extruding. There is also exploration of various surface decorating techniques, including carving, incision, underglaze, oxides and glaze. Practical workings with clay are underscored by lessons on kiln loading and firing. This course has weekly lectures which incorporate examples of artists who work with clay across traditional ceramic techniques as well as through experimental sculptural and conceptual practices. There is an emphasis on experimentation with materials, surfaces and form and in exploring the politics and poetics of material origins and transformations that are inherent in ceramic practices.