OH NO! NO DATES! AHHHH!

I am stuck on my drawing this week. I found  some of my older drawings in an folder from undergrad. (See, it pays to clean up once in a while.) Most are doodles. Some are drawings that I took my time with.  Now, I made a major artist "no no" and didn't date my work. (WTF PAST ME!) So at present, I am just trying to scan them and get them in some order so I can put them up here.  So until that happens, here are two drawings for my thesis show that were never realized as installation.  I do hope to make them some day. They have a weird Ed Kineholz meets John Waters feel. I love it!

"Here comes my baby" 2011

"The Perambulator"  2011

 

Oh, If you don't know who Ed Kienholz or John Waters are (Then I weep for your soul!)  PLEASE LOOK THEM UP!

John Waters

http://www.dreamlandnews.com/index.html

Ed Kienholz (I know it is Wikipedia, but check the links at the bottom)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Kienholz 

Part II: I'M TEACHING A CLASS! (My Low-fire Work)

I am so excited! There are so many more Low-Fire Techniques to go into (Like Raku Firing, which will need its own entry), but I will save them for another time. For now, here are some examples of my own Low-Fire Work. I hope you enjoy them. 

 MY WORK

 Details from my Thesis show (2012)  Low-fire underglazes and glazes, Lusters, and decals

Mama's Chalice (2012) Cone 06 Glazes and lusters

 

 Angry (2012) Low-fire Salt Fuming

Flower Woman (2007) Underglazes, Low-fire glazes, and Lusters

 Mintotaur (2007) Underglazes, Low-fire glazes, and Lusters

Lava Lamp Ice Cream (2008) Underglazes, Low-fire glazes, and Lusters

 Untitled (2009) Underglazes, Low-fire glazes

Pointed (2009)  Underglazes, Low-fire glazes

Selected Raku Works (2009-2011)

Torso (2007) Low-Fire Underglazes and glazes

Eat Me (2007) Low -fire Underglazes and glazes

 Blue (2010) Raku

Walkin' (2010) Raku

  

I'M TEACHING A CLASS!!!!

***WARNINGS***
1. This post will be long.
2. I will quote my thesis... several times... cause it is awesome!
3. If you just want to see my art work, and don't care about my news, or the lecture on low-fire ceramics that will most likely happen in this post, then just read part II.
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So I am putting off the videos and performance art again because I got some great news! I am going to teach ceramics classes at The Art Association in my home town!!!!! (Five exclamation points means insane, right?.... WHOO!!)  I am so excited! The people at the association are really friendly, the studio is amazing, and I have full access to tools, glaze and clay chemicals, a kiln. It is a dream come true. The most important thing is that I get to teach ceramics! I truly enjoy sharing my knowledge with others. It is amazing to see what someone does with the techniques and knowledge you give them.

There is so much a person can do with clay! So much is happening in contemporary ceramics and the history of ceramics is just jammed packed with fabulous pieces and works of art. Ceramics aren't just cups and bowls, though there are some really great cups and bowls out there. (I love a good tea bowl more than I love chocolate.) Check out the 500 series if you don't believe me.
 http://books.google.com/books/about/500_Cups.html?id=vuRaz6voSlkC

Ceramics have played a large and important part in human history. It influences design, fine arts, architecture, crafts, function, how we eat, and so many other things. There are many ceramic artists that use their work to discuss important social issues as well. The late master, Robert Arneson, used his ceramic sculptures to convey his view points on nuclear war, his batten with cancer, and the death of San Fransisco mayor George Moscone in 1978. His public sculpture to commemorate Mayor Moscone, with its use of graffiti,  its smiling portrayal of Moscone, and the reference to the ridiculous Twinkie defense used to acquit the perpetrator, caused outrage and broght attention to the ridiculousness of the trial.

 

Portrait of George (Moscone), 1981

Thesis time! 

"Chris Antemann is an up-and-coming ceramic artist with works in many publications and prestigious collections, such as the Museum of art and Design in New York City and the Foshan Ceramic Museum in China (LH Project.Org). Antemann uses porcelain figurines of the French Rococo period to create “objects of wealth”; one of a kind narrative scenes which reflect on and parody contemporary issues of beauty, sexuality, and gender (Lovelace American Craft) (Antemann LHProject.Org). Her pieces consist of nude eighteenth century style figures in flighty sexual positions, mimicking figurative arrangements found in art history. Her use of antiquated ceramic techniques (porcelain, modeling, china paints, precious metallic lusters, and floral decals) add an air of sophistication and importance to her sexually charged imagery. Through patterns of color, ornament, and luster in clothing and hair styles, Antemann uses visual cues in her figures to comment on and question issues of domesticity, class, and the roles of men and women (Lovelace)."

  Wambach, Emmanuelle. Surviving the Quarter Life Crisis, 2012.

Antemann, Chris. “Artists Statement: Liberating the Figurine.” LH Project.Org. LH

Project. Web. 15 Mar. 2012. <http://lhproject.org/artist_statement.asp?parent_collection_file=data/xml/512200910584collection.xml&parent_gallery_file=crew_gallery.asp&parent_title=Staff&gallery_file=staff_gallery.asp&title=Christina%20Antemann>.

Lovelace, Joyce. “Chris Antemann”. American Craft. December 1, 2007.  Web. 10 Jun.

2011. < http://www.americancraftmag.org/blog-post.php?id=115>.

Chris Antemann, Feast of Impropriety, 2010. Ferrin Gallery.

PLEASE check out her site! She is amazing! http://www.chrisantemann.com

I will be teaching a class on handbuilt ceramics and on Low-Fire and Majolica techniques! Low fire surfacing means that the surface substance is fired  and reaches its set temperature somewhere between cone 022- cone 1 (1063 degrees F- 2019 degrees F).  You can get the most brilliant and vivid colors and effects using low-fire techniques. Some of the low-fire techniques include enamels, lusters (metallic solution that shine silver, gold, platinum, opal, or pearlessent when fired), low-fire underglazes and engobes (Colored liquid clays that can be applied alone to a piece, or applied then covered with a clear or translucent glaze). These techniques can be seen in Chris Antemann's work, as well as in the intricate work of French Rococo Eighteenth Century ceramic factory, Sevres Porcelain. 

 

"The status of Eighteenth century Sèvres porcelain inspired the emphasis on the issue of negative societal expectations (fig.3). Sèvres pieces consisted of decorative and functional ceramic forms made from low fire soft paste porcelain, or pate tendere. This porcelain allowed for brightly colored enamel and lead glazes, metallic lusters and leafing, elaborate china paints, and intricate modeling and lattice work. Sèvres pieces acted as symbols of the status that only kings and aristocrats could afford (Meister and Reber 12, Whitehead 168-169)."

Wambach, The Quarter-Life Crisis, 2012

Meister, Peter Willhelm, and Horst Reber. European Porcelain of the Eighteenth

Century. Trans. Edward Osers. Ithaca: Cornell UP, 1983. Print.

The other lowfire tehique I will be teaching, Majolica, Originated in Italy in the 1500s. Traditionally, Majolica is a Terracotta clay covered in an opaque white mineral bath that  keeps hand painted glazes from running. Italian Artist, Luca Della Robbia is given credit as developer of oxide  mineral bath , Majolica. Master craftsmen, passed down  the techniques through their families. Many pieces were commissioned by the wealthy and the church and included etailed and intricate modeling. At first the colors used were limited but intense Satin color palettes- Blue, Green, Yellow,  White, Brown. But today any color can be used in the Majolica process. 

  

Modern Majolica

Lluca della Robbia Majolica



Continued in Part II