Final Reflection
We did many different projects this semester which all challenged me in different ways. After finishing them all, I am most proud of the piece I made during the Multiple Pinch Pot project. From this project I learned that clay could be worked with in more ways than I thought it could, especially when it comes to pinch pots. I hadn't realized the flexibility pinch pots allow, and that the idea of what a pinch pot is, can be much more loosely defined. I also learned that I really enjoy creating pieces that engage the audience in a multitude of ways. For example, in the spikey ball I made for the project, it plays with the space it takes up by having half of the ball be filled with spikes, but having the other half be totally round. And it also reaches people because of the story carved onto the surface of the piece, as well as the color scheme which allows the story to come through more clearly. This project allowed me to see the power that clay has as a vessel to tell a story.
Through ceramics class, I have gotten a new perspective on the wide variety of ways clay can lend itself to art. Seeing my peers have the same assignment as I did and create something so uniquely different and interesting showed the variety of ways that one can work with this medium. I also appreciate art differently. Having seen how much work goes into getting a glazing job right, or having a piece stay uncracked while working on it, I find I am less quick to judge my own work and more likely to marvel at the work of professional artists. I can see the dedication that it takes to work with this medium, and how they have learned to work with clay in a way that can only come from experience and dedication. The class opened up the world of ceramics to me much more, because I hadn't known how many ways clay could be used, or the time it takes to work with clay. One project that surprised me was the slab project because we were able to make pretty uniform-looking mugs quite quickly. So there are some ways that clay work can be done fast in order to make a simple product, but more detailed works of art take much more time.
I have few recommendations for the class. Teaching-wise, we were always given plenty of time and the utmost understanding when work was late which was a welcome change from the fast-paced expectations of the rest of the school. However it did make it easier to fall behind, so potentially posting in the classroom about having artist statements done would be helpful. The number of projects was perfect because there weren't too many, but we always had something to work on. One thing I appreciate is the freedom of creativity we have in ceramics, and how that allows us so much room to grow. We were never held up to a standard of what we should be making, or what we were expected to create instead were allowed to experiment even if they didn't work. A potential idea for a project (maybe when introducing glaze) would be to create something "ugly" and then carve away from it, or somehow change the surface to create something beautiful.