Reviewing Methods and Materials - Clay...

Reviewing Methods and Materials…

Three-dimensional works of art, design and craft:

Art, design and craft in clay:

Clay.

Students can begin to consider the advantages of using clay working techniques in order to represent observations, ideas and emotions, or create decorative or functional works of design or craft.

Display environment, scale, supports:

Is the clay art, design or craft work displayed outside or inside an architectural structure? Describe the location.

The scale of a piece of clay art, design or craft work can influence the viewer’s perceptions. Describe the size and scale of the clay art, design or craft work.

Describe the lighting environment in the exhibition area, and describe any shadows cast by the clay art, design or craft work or sections of the clay art, design or craft work. How do these shadows influence the viewer’s perceptions of the clay art, design or craft work? Can the viewer notice specific reflections cast by the clay art, design or craft work? Do these reflections influence the viewer’s perceptions?

Has the exhibitor produced a clay relief work that projects from a wall or another vertical structure? Is the work resting against a wall, a vertical backing board or an item of furniture? Is the item a low relief clay work with shallow projections or a high relief clay work where raised features project further away from the backing surface?

Has the exhibitor produced a free-standing clay art, design or craft work, so that the viewer can move around every section of the entire clay work?

Has the exhibitor created a small-scale, free-standing clay art, design or craft work? Has the small clay work been placed on a platform or plinth, or an item of furniture? Has the small clay work been placed in a clay display cabinet? If the small clay work is in a display cabinet, has the exhibition organiser used special support structures or lighting devices in order to present the work?

How high is the top surface of a platform or plinth or item of furniture used to present the clay art, design or craft work for display?

Has the artist, designer or crafts practitioner created large free-standing clay art, design or craft work that can be placed on the ground or a low platform or plinth?

Does the use of a platform or plinth or an item of furniture for display purposes influence the way that the exhibition visitor views the clay art, design or craft work?

Has the exhibitor produced a free-standing clay art, design or craft work that is suspended from a ceiling or overhead structure? Is so, describe methods used to suspend the clay.

Has the exhibitor featured kinetic elements in the clay art, design or craft work? Describe these elements. Does the movement depend on natural forces, such as the wind, or has the exhibitor used a special mechanism in order to promote movement? Describe the movement of forms in the clay art, design or craft work.

Clay: works or art, or design or craft?

Is the exhibit a work of clay art? Why is this exhibit a work of art, rather than a work of design or a craft work? If this work is a unique visual representation, describe the visual representation and the visual composition used by the artist.

Is the exhibit a clay design work? Why is this exhibit a work of design, rather than an art work or a craft work? Has the designer produced a work in response to a specific design brief? Describe the design aims that guided the development of the exhibit. Describe the decorative or utilitarian purpose of the clay work. Has the development of the exhibit been associated with specific design traditions and practices?

Is the exhibit a work of clay craft? Why is this exhibit a craft work, rather than an art work or a work of design? Has the crafts practitioner produced a work that is part of a specific craft tradition? Describe the crafts technique that guided the development of the exhibit. Does the craft work serve a particular function? Describe the decorative or utilitarian purpose of the craft work.

Clay techniques:

Describe the types of clay used for the final clay art, design or craft work.

Has the artist, designer or crafts practitioner manipulated clay by using hand tools? Has foot-powered or electrically-powered equipment, such as pottery wheels, been used to create the clay work?

If hand-building techniques have been used to create the exhibit, describe the techniques that have been used. Has the exhibitor used coil or slab building techniques? Has the exhibitor combined hand-building techniques with other techniques, such as pottery wheel work?

If the exhibitor has incorporated repeat patterns into the clay exhibit, describe these patterns.
Has the exhibitor developed a clay work that consists of a single form or related multiple forms? If multiple forms have been used, describe the connections between these forms.

Has the exhibit been kiln-fired to the temperature levels of bisque ceramics or stoneware or porcelain?

Has the artist, designer crafts practitioner relied on the use of modeling techniques in order to produce the clay exhibit? Can the viewer detect the marks of modeling tools or other implements on the surface of the clay? Does the clay feature smooth areas or fine detail or heavily textured areas? Describe the use of shapes and linear elements in the clay exhibit. Has the exhibitor left any natural or pre-existing surface colours visible, or have clay slips, inlays, additional surface colours, two-dimensional collage techniques, or laminating techniques been applied to the clay surface? Does the clay feature a matte or a gloss surface? Has the clay been burnished using clay modeling tools? If clay glazes have been applied to the surface of an exhibit, describe the ways that the exhibitor has used these materials. Has the exhibitor used enamel or oil paints, or ceramic or porcelain paints to the surface of the exhibit?

Has the clay exhibit been created through the use of a casting technique? Has the exhibition catalogue or label described the type of casting techniques used? Describe the use of shapes and linear elements in the clay work. Does the clay feature smooth sections, clearly defined areas of detail or textured areas? Has the exhibitor left any natural or pre-existing surface colours visible, or have clay slips, inlays, additional surface colours, two-dimensional collage techniques, or laminating techniques been applied to the clay surface? Does the clay feature a matte or a gloss surface? Has the clay been burnished through the use of clay modeling tools? If clay glazes have been applied to the surface of an exhibit, describe the ways that the exhibitor has used these materials. Has the exhibitor used acrylic, enamel or oil paints, or ceramic or porcelain paints to the surface of the exhibit?

How has the artist used clay cutting or carving techniques in order to produce the clay art, design or craft work? Can the viewer detect the marks of tools or other implements on the surface of the clay? Does the clay feature smooth areas or fine detail or heavily textured areas? Has a scraffitto technique been used? Describe the use of shapes and linear elements in the clay work. How many holes have been left in the clay work in order to create positive or negative shapes or spaces? Are the positive shapes more prominent than the negative shapes or spaces? Has the exhibitor left any natural or pre-existing colours visible, or have clay slips, inlays, additional surface colours or clay stains, two-dimensional collage techniques, or laminating techniques been applied to the clay surface? If natural clay colours or marks have been left as a feature, describe the visual impact of these sections. Does the clay feature a matte or a gloss surface? Has the clay been burnished through the use of clay modeling tools? If clay glazes have been applied to the surface of an exhibit, describe the ways that the exhibitor has used these materials. Has the exhibitor used acrylic, enamel or oil paints, or ceramic or porcelain paints to the surface of the exhibit?

Has the clay art, design or craft work been created through the use of assemblage techniques? If several pieces of clay have been joined together, describe the techniques that have been used to achieve the final form. Have the assembled clay elements been placed together on a base or a ground surface? Describe the use of shapes and linear elements in the clay. Has the exhibitor left any natural or pre-existing surface colours visible, or have clay slips, inlays, additional surface colours, two-dimensional collage techniques, or laminating techniques been applied to the clay surface? If natural clay tones have been left as a feature, describe the visual impact of these sections. Does the clay feature a matte or a gloss surface? Has the exhibitor used burnishing methods or glazes on the clay surface? Has the exhibitor used acrylic, enamel or oil paints, or ceramic or porcelain paints to the surface of the exhibit?

Subject matter:

Has the exhibitor used three-dimensional clay techniques in order to produce realistic representations? Describe the representations.

Has the exhibitor used three-dimensional clay techniques in order to produce an abstracted representation? Describe the representations.

If the exhibitor has produced three-dimensional sculptural pattern forms, describe the placement and scale of the pattern lines or shapes, as well as any distinctive optical effects.