Clay Forms

January 29, 2015

Volcanic glaze bottle – Jay Kvapil

I never tire of admiring a design that exudes originality and spirit. Sometimes form alone works a treat, with the right balance and originality. Any added decoration would detract from its pure brilliance. Decorative lines, texture and colour can all contribute to the added illusion of depth and combine to manifest rhythm in the design. Overlapping lines and colours support the perception of depth. Sharp edges in the decoration can flatten the depth, as can a lack of tonal diversity. Decorative additions can clash with the shape of a piece, if the lines aren’t harmonic with the form.
The curvilinear shape always presents shifting perspectives and intriguing possibilities on the three dimensional canvas of clay pottery. Asymmetrical patterns and design adds to the allure of a decoration as it offers multiple angles where the piece reflects a shifting appearance. Additional texture can be created with decorative lines, directly carved into a piece or appear with the glaze and natural surface of the clay. The more textured a surface, the larger the object appears.
The mood of a piece can be manipulated with the styles of the lines in both the form and decoration. Vertical lines are yin, expansive, gravity defying, feminine, restless and reflect growth and flexibility. Conversely yang horizontal lines are grounded, masculine, restful, steady, rigid, passive, calm and serene. An assertive mood can be created with bold, straight, solid, sharp, thick, and even lines. A soft, or delicate mood would employ curved, thin, or continuous flowing lines. An edgy feel logically comes from diagonal, disjointed, angular shape and lines. The creative combination of these ‘moods’ can create an excellent dynamic. This was particularly evident in the vivid Art Deco designs.
The most cleverly conceived design can be dismissed in a glance if these creative elements don’t mesh and sometimes if the form isn’t right to begin with, decoration will struggle to save it. The artist uses these design elements to put form to his creative spirit, and ironically, with abandonment of intellectual analysis, the viewer can get closer to appreciating the spirit of the work.
The focus of this post is on forms that are original, or have decoration that effectively enhances the form.

Female figure dish – Edouard Cazaux

Modernist ceramic vessel by Alessandro Mendini,- Superego Edition

Italy

Val Cushing

USA 1931

Anne Currier

A graceful Korean celadon glaze porcelain ewer, designed to resemble a bamboo shoot.

Museum of FIne Arts in Boston, 12th century

Tall textured copper reds and green vase – Brother Thomas

Globular Art Deco vase – Camille Faure

Carlos Versluys ceramic handpainted pitcher

Ceramic burner with decentralized neck – Catherine of Siena, Italy

Japanese influenced raku vessel – Meredith McGriff, Indiana

Caught Up In Clay – etsy

Cecilia Boivie – sheep figurines

Davis Vachon

Ceramic bottle mid-century – Clyde Burt

Yellow crater glaze vessel Michael Hamlin Smith

Abstract vessel, twin necks – Davide Salvadore

‘Tyto 1’ – Daina & Francis- Elemental Artifacts

Stylized barn owl sculpture in graphite colored mica flecked stone. Mounted on a bronzed patinaed steel base

Art Deco bowl – Emile Jacques Ruhlmann

France

Enno Jäkel contemporary vessel

‘Roma’ – Giuliano Malimpensa palladium sculptural vessel

ponteonline.com

Jim & Shirl – ‘Parmentier’

Kato Yasukage, Joan B. Mirviss

Sofaexpo

Kazuo Yagi — Futakuchi Tsubo

1950

‘Fishwife’s Birthday Teapot’ sculpture by Natasha Dikareva.

Incised stoneware Vessel – Guido Gamboni

Larry Halvorsen

Handbuilt vessel – Leza Mcvey

USA 4o’s

‘Listening to Waves’ vase – Sakiyama Takayuki

Heisei period-(1989–present), 2004

Lucie Vase

Marianne de Trey

Meissen Porcelain Factory ceramic lidded vessel

Michelle Mendlowitz contemporary ceramic bottle

‘Kassandra’ – Peter Mandl

Höllviken, Sweden

Kerry Hastings

Koloman Moser vase for Loetz

‘On a Dark Wing of a Wave’ Jacques Vesery

Wood Fired Ceramic Vessel – Paul Soldner

Robert Hessler—Crystalline glazed bottle

‘Puzzle Pot 1’ – Ron Mello

This particular piece was wheel thrown, burnished and initially sagger fired. Then the piece was cracked and broken into several pieces. Each was then fired or treated with a different technique and reassembled.