Soft Slab Construction

These mugs reflect my desire to create beautiful utilitarian objects. While 2-D art can be stored easily, 3-D art takes up quite a bit of space. My own skills with clay have not yet reached a point where I am happy with the non-utilitarian works I make, so I can improve my skill with clay while also making something that doesn't just take up space. In short, I don't see my ceramic work as good enough as art alone just yet. I promise I'm making progress, though.

I was inspired by the forms of classical architecture, such as the fluting on ionic columns and the archways of Roman antiquity. The black glaze (SM-1) served to create a smooth lip and even feel to the mugs, as well as unify them as a set. While the form of the arch mug is far more pleasing to me, I like the character of the fluted mug, and I think what make these two mugs so beautiful (to me, at least) are the imperfections. Perfect things grow too boring to look at after a while.