Were You Exposed to Craft Theory as an Undergraduate Art Student?

I have posted a polled question on the right side of my blog. I am trying to gather information on how many undergraduate art students are exposed to craft theory. I am interested in gathering poll data, but please leave comments under this thread too.

When I refer to "craft theory" I am not simply referring to craft as related to art, or the classic "is craft art?" argument. This seems to be constantly discussed and argued within academia. Instead I mean the study and relationship of craft within the context of society, industry, design, and yes... art too.

Approaching Ceramics Criticism

I will be starting to post links to ceramics criticism and reviews under the page heading "Ceramics Criticism and Review Links" at the top of the page, as I come across them... few and far between as they seem.

Published Essays by Rob Barnard

Rob Barnard has a great collection of essays spanning the last twenty-five years. They encompase a number of topics which he has categorized them by: "Use," "Tradition-Is There Room For It In The Future?" "The Modern Crafts Establishment," etc... Thoughtful writings which I highly recommend, and a great website in general:

http://www.rob-barnard.com/essays/contents/

The Smithsonian Institution's "Archives of American Art"

The Smithsonian Institution has a great resource called the "Archives of American Art." On their website is a link to their “Oral History Interviews” which has interviews with prominent arts and craftspersons in a written transcript form. It is a great resource and the first place that I read about Warren McKenzie. There are interviews with Val Cushing, Jun Kaneko, Kurt Weiser, Charles Furgus Binns, Beatrice Wood... the list goes on and on. I have provided a link below, or find it later in my “Podcasts and Conversations” page:

http://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/

BFA Show

I am finally documenting my BFA show pieces... now that I have my photo booth set up permanently, it will be easier to tweak the setup and at last get good shots of my work. Now I just have to eliminate user error from the shooting process.

These are far from perfect shots, but I am starting to understand the process. For whatever reason, even after custom setting the white-balance, the shots seem to have a pink hue... working on that issue.

Lectures on Ceramics and Craft

I have added a new page to my blog, "Podcasts and Conversations." As you may guess, I have begun collecting the links of websites which host lectures, podcasts, articles, etc... which contribute to the field of ceramics, clay, and craft.

As my second and newest addition, I added a link to the Museum of Contemporary Craft. It has a great collection of podcasts which span 2007-present. They are diverse and engaging and include such lecturer's/writers as Garth Clark and Glenn Adamson... well known in the ceramics community, but also so many more.  Anyway, most are worth a listen. Enjoy:

http://www.museumofcontemporarycraft.org/programs_podcasts.php

Kiln Plans Revised

So after taking into consideration comments from the ClayArt community, I have begun to make changes on my design. As you will see, the step-grate portion of the firebox has been extended further, and dropped lower. Now there is a clearly defined step up where the pottery can be stacked.

Still a work in progress... but it feels like I am getting closer to a sound kiln design. I will be adding mouse holes below the noborigama's side stoke grates, and reconsidering the height of each of the two steps up inside the kiln. Although it is smaller than most kilns of similar characteristics and design, I don't think that translates into short steps. I will see what I find out through more digging...

Kiln Plan: Noborigama with Extended Firebox and Step-grate

So here are the plans for my Noborigama which features an extended firebox and step-grate system. I am expecting the extended firebox to act similar to a train kiln, depositing a lot of ash on the pottery and other clay work, while the chamber behind the firebox should have minimal ash. It will be constructed out of large, industrial, rotary kiln brick and standard high duty firebrick.

After reading Dick Lehman's article "An Approach To Long Woodfire" I was sure that I wanted to build in the "step-grate" system he mentioned. The nearly four feet of stepping grate (which has mouse holes coming underneath it... maybe gopher holes would be more appropriate in this case) should allow me the option of stuffing the firebox with wood and very slowly firing accumulating ash for a few days before really kicking off the firing. 


The last picture shows the kiln with its side cut off to better show the step grate... I may even add one more row of brick to the length of the firebox, extending the top step. This would add another 8" roughly to the firebox.


The design needs a little bit of tweeking and dimension checking, but is nearly ready to go. 

My Glaring New Ceramics Studio

Well... here is the gleaming, glaring new ceramics studio. It is nearly complete in all of its fluorescent glory. Now that the white boards are up, I have hardly any excuse to not be producing work. I was hoping to be completed with everything by now, but nothing ever goes so smoothly as we plan and I have to pour the plaster for the wedging/drying table and put up racks for the ware boards.... back to it.

A Studio To Call My Own

Beautiful, shining, blinding fluorescent lights... ahhhh. This is the current state of my cavern studio, I mean ceramics studio. It looks like there would be more to the left, but nope, just a wall. The throwing wheel was a lucky find and was actually free, but needs a seat. Straight ahead is my wedging table (with a sink directly ahead of it), and to the right is a table for hand building, storing clay and tools and displaying my most motivational work (only old, old, old crap up there right now).

Because I am in a basement and have minimal lighting, I will be backing the whole "L" shaped work space with white, gloss finished board which should reflect some of the light back and make it brighter, but also provide a huge surface to design pots on with dry-erase markers.

A kick wheel would not have been my first choice... but it gets me working again at no expense, and soon enough I will have a electric wheel to add to the space. The last couple of things to do are make a plaster drying table and set up a permanent photo booth, both of which should be done by the end of the week. I am excited to get working again and will post pictures of the finished space.