The University of Tennessee at Martin Department of Visual and Theatre Arts. Art 360 Clay Sculpture I & II Spring 2014

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1 The University of Tennessee at Martin Department of Visual and Theatre Arts Art 360 Clay Sculpture I & II Spring 2014 David McBeth, MFA dmcbeth@utm.edu Office: FA 157 Phone: x7416, Office Hours: MWF 12 1; F 1 5, TTH 8:30-9:30 If I am not in my office, check the studios Course Hours: TTH 1:00 3:50 Textbooks: (not required): Sculptural Ceramics, Ian Gregory; The Figure in Clay, Lark Books Course Description: Exploration of various clay sculpture processes. Advanced handbuilding techniques, glaze and surface techniques. Makes use of slab roller/extruders. Students will participate in kiln firing and glaze mixing. Course Objectives: Working with several clay bodies, we will explore the 3- dimensional sculptural. We will work at large scale construction, rich surface enhancement and personal expression. Attendance Expectations You must be in class to learn fully what I expect you to learn this semester. Previous experience has shown that an absence policy is required in order to maintain reasonable class attendance. Contrary to what I find desirable the following absence policy will be in effect for this course: For the fourth absence your final grade for the course will be lowered one letter. That is: if you missed class four times and your final grade should be a B, the final grade I will report to the registrar will be a C ; if your miss five times and your final grade should be a B, the final grade I will report to the registrar will be a D. You should be able to see from this that excessive absence will have a serious effect on your grade. Do not ask me if you missed anything important while you were gone, if it was not important I wasn t here either. As a studio course this class meets 3 hours two times a week. You should be in class on time. I will take roll at the beginning of class time. If you come in late make sure I change the absent to a tardy. Three tardy marks will equal one absence and effect the lowering of your final grade accordingly. In my final evaluation of your work for the semester I will not only consider the grades you earned for creative and written work, but your general class attitude as well. The class is meant to last three hours each Tuesday and Thursday. I expect you to be in the studio working from 1:00 to 3:45 each of those days. At time this can be a messy course, each of you will be evaluated as to your involvement in keeping the studio clean and orderly. Studio work, tools and otherassignments left in the studio beyond the final exam session will cause your final grade to be lowered one letter.

2 Creative Assignments: This semester we are going to be concentrating on the human figure as we work through a variety of creative problems. Some of these projects will begin with maquettes as studies. In all cases finished, high quality sculptures are expected. Quality craftsmanship is of utmost importance. Your grade will be significantly determined by creativity, craft, composition. Sectional Figures Mo Jupp o o Viola Frey o o ZDc1Z/Viola_Frey_powerpoint_ppt_presentation Historical Figurative References Cycladic Idols Venus of Willendorf Chinese Tomb Guards Soft Figures Imre Schrammel Vanessa Pooley Minimalist Figures Joy Brown o Claire Cureen Figures with a Message Robert Arneson Akio Takamori Some Artists to Consider: Paul Soldner Mo Jupp Bob Arneson Peter Voulkos Stephen DeStaebler Joy Brown Linda Ganstrom Viola Frey Rosette Gault Techniques to Explore: Slab, Paper Clay, Coil, Wheel-thrown, Carved, and of course multiple combinations of these techniques. Grading Policy: Each sculpture assignment is worth 100 points. The sketchbook/journal is worth 10 points each week. The written critiques are each worth 25 points. I will be evaluating your creative work on craft, content, composition and creativity. The following rubrics will help you understand how the grades are determined for your creative work.

3 In Homo Aestheticus, Ellen Dissanayake argues that Art is not an ornamental and dispensable luxury, but intrinsic to our species. And once we recognize this truth, she says each one of us should feel permission and justification for taking the trouble to live our life with care and thought for its quality rather than being helplessly caught up in the reductive and alienating pragmatic imperatives of consumer and efficiency-oriented and entertain-me society. Art is a normal and necessary behavior of human beings and like other common and universal occupations such as talking, working, exercising, playing, socializing, learning, loving, and caring, should be recognized, encouraged and developed in everyone. Via art, experience is heightened, elevated, made more memorable and significant. Art 360 Clay Sculpture Creative Assignments Grading Rubric As a student in the Department of Visual and Theatre Arts you are studying in a professional degree curriculum. In this upper-division course there is an expectation that you are getting nearer that level of professional artist. I will evaluate you work based on four primary areas: Craft how well you make something; technical virtuosity Creativity how innovative the work is Content how clearly are the ideas presented Composition how well the work is organized CRAFT COMPONENT In The Nature and Art of Workmanship, David Pye says; "Bad workmanship is a matter of making mistakes through hurry, carelessness or ineptitude, which thwart the design pts. A pts B pts C pts D 15 or less F exceptionally of ability in manipulating an advanced level of ability in manipulating an acceptable level of ability in manipulating a marginal level of ability in manipulating little or no ability in manipulating Extremely well constructed; of appropriate weight; edges, extremely well crafted, evidence of a highly gifted hand very well constructed; of appropriate weight; edges, extremely well crafted, evidence of a gifted hand well constructed; of acceptable weight; edges, well crafted, some evidence of a gifted hand Not well constructed; some decay in firing; not of acceptable weight; edges, not well crafted, little evidence of a gifted hand poorly constructed; does not survive firing; too heavy; edges, show a lack of evidence of a gifted hand

4 CREATIVITY COMPONENT Creativity is more than just being different. Anybody can plan weird; that s easy. What s hard is to be as simple as Bach. Making the simple, awesomely simple, that s creativity Charles Mingus pts. A pts B pts C pts D 15 or less F exceptionally of creativity in of creativity in acceptable level of creativity in marginal level of creativity in little or no ability in manipulating Exceptionally unique and personal way of depicting constructing Unique and personal way of depicting constructing Marginally unique and personal way of depicting constructing Not very unique or personal way of depicting constructing No signs of any thing unique or personal in the depicting of construction of CONTENT COMPONENT Content: The emotional or intellectual message of an artwork. The expression, essential meaning, significance, or aesthetic value of a work of art. Content is not just a description of the subject matter pts. A pts B pts C pts D 15 or less F exceptionally of mature or sophisticated idea developed and presented in an exceptional manor in this of mature or sophisticated idea developed and presented in an above average manor in this an acceptable level of mature or sophisticated idea developed and presented in an acceptable manor in this a marginal level of idea developed and presented in a marginal manor in this little or no idea development and presentation in

5 COMPOSITION COMPONENT Appropriate use of elements and principles of three-dimensional pts. A pts B pts C pts D 15 or less F an exceptionally of understanding of the elements and principles of composition in executing an advanced level of understanding of the elements and principles of composition in an average level of understanding of the elements and principles of composition in a marginal level of understanding of the elements and principles of composition in little or no understanding of the elements and principles of composition in Written Assignments/Journal: Your sketchbook is your best friend. Your pencil is your second best friend. If you come to class without either of these dear friends you will be counted absent. A football player does do go to the game with out a helmet, a rodeoist does not ride with out a horse art students do not come to class without a sketchbook and pencil. 1. One page reviews of assigned art exhibits. Question/Review Sheets will be handed out when specific exhibit reviews are assigned weeks you will have journal assignments. Five of these will coincide with the creative assignments, Five will be assigned at other times. Jan 8 - Sectional Figures 300 to 400 word essay that presents your figure s idea Jan 21 - Historical Figure 250 to 350 word essay on your figure s place in history Feb to 400 word essay on Pre-columbian ritual vessels containing human figure Feb 18 - Soft Figures to 400 word essay that presents your figure s idea Feb 25 One page essay on a figurative clay sculptor working in realism March 11 - One page essay on a figurative clay sculptor working in ethic reference March 25 - Minimalist Figures to 400 word essay that presents your figure s idea April 1 - One page essay on a figurative clay sculptor working casting and realism April 8 - Figures with Message 300 to 400 word essay that gives text to your figure s image April 15 - One page essay on your growth as a figurative clay sculptor working General Supplies Sketchbook Drawing Pencils Clay working tools

6 Art 360 Clay Sculpture David McBeth Spring 2014 Creative Assignment #1: Sectional Figures Using slab construction as the primary ing method, supplementing with sprigs, extrusions, thrown parts as necessary or appropriate create an abstract architectural. What are the figures representing, what story are they trying to tell, how can they be simplified or abstracted First the Writing- Write a word essay/story that presents your figure s message. What is important about their tale? What simple, abstract elements do you need to represent on the figure to help them tell the story? This does not have to be more than an everyday life event. How many figures do you need to tell this story? Study the Artist For this assignment you should give extra attention to the sculptor Mo Jupp. Consider your options - Soft and/or stiff slabs, simple detail, suggestive of and shape Implied clothing or not, hair or not simple details that will help tell the story How will textures assist in telling the story How will the figures stand, what support system will you need Consider the scale - I d like to see these s in the 6-8 inch high range. Of course that will vary with the design and layout of each, some may be shorter and broader while others are smaller and taller. We will high fire these figures to give a better permanence to the clay. The Time Line - Jan 9 - Present assignment, look at some historical examples Jan 14 Writing due (typed), sketches and written notes of/about figures, begin working Jan 16 Work on figures Jan 30 We will look at finished s today and begin drying SLOWLY.

7 Art 360 Clay Sculpture David McBeth Fall 2006 Creative Assignment: A Still Life Using slab construction as the primary ing method, supplementing with sprigs, extrusions, thrown parts as necessary or appropriate create a model of your house. Who do you remember your house from your youth. What does how you design your house say about that house, about you. First the Writing- Write word essay about your house. Do you remember sliding down the banister, jumping off a balcony, breaking a second story window, hiding in the closet to avoid a spanking for hitting your younger sister, the Christmas tree in the corner of the living room, family dinners in the dining room. What do you remember about your house, from you childhood? With the writing, do a few sketches of yor house from various points of view. Consider your options - Soft slabs Crisp slabs Are the windows open or closed Does the door open Does the roof lift off so we can see inside What about the exterior of the house What about around the house Brick Wood Consider the scale - I d like to see these houses in the 12x18 inch range. Of course that will vary with the design and layout of each house, some may be shorter and broader while others are smaller and taller. We will probably glaze fire these house to give a better permanence to the clay. The Time Line - Aug 31 - Present assignment, look at some historical examples Sept 5 Writing due (typed), sketches due also and begin ing house Sept 7 Work on Houe Sept 12 Work on House Sept 14 House should be built and begin drying SLOWLY. A Tryptic/Relicry The Human Form The Machine Age

8 Ritual/Guardian/Ceremonial