Description
Issues of human relationship to clay and nature will be investigated by digging local clay bodies, making bioregional slips, and building sculptural forms with color and texture. There will be special emphasis placed on the experimental production of terra sigillata, a fine particle slip used to achieve smooth, polished surfaces. Instruction will cover hand modeling, mold making, and saggar firing - a carbon-trapping technique that uses containers filled with ware and organic combustibles. The course will include a critical study of selected essays from Gary Snyder’s The Practice of the Wild as a way to cultivate ecological awareness through material investigations in ceramics. Prior experience with ceramic materials is not required to enroll in the course.