If you are a potter with an emphasis on functional then you undoubtedly know that commercialism in the United States has hit the very core of functional pottery. Although it has been around for ages, it has become readily apparent that the idea of producing just to gain a profit. Americans do not generally want to dish twenty bucks for a handmade mug when they could easily go to the nearest "Dollar Store" or "Wal-mart" and buy something for a couple dollars. This is the main concept of it all. A few general definitions:
Commercialism: excessive on making profit (Merriam-Webster)...pretty straight forward
Art: is the process or product of deliberately arranging elements in a way that appeals to the senses or emotions. It encompasses a diverse range of human activities, creations, and modes of expression, including music, literature, film, sculpture, and paintings. The meaning of art is explored in a branch of philosophy known as aesthetics (Wikipedia I generally would not use Wikipedia but because it is a public forum it helps to show what people consider art to be)
Functionality: a style of pottery in which the finished piece is intended for use
Perhaps people would better appreciate a handmade mug if they knew some basic concepts of a wheel thrown mug.
The first thing to consider is form. What style of mug are you going to use that will appeal to your audience and will be functional and aesthetically pleasing. The fact is that no person has the same favorite mug that is because none of our hands are the same. A mug in my mind should fit right in my hand so much so that I barely even have to use any pressure in order for the mug so stay in place. In addition, the mug needs to have a big enough handle that all four of my fingers can fit underneath it.
The second thing is the glaze. This is tricky because it seems like you would just choose a color and then go with it but there is more to it than that. For instance, you would choose a cranberry glaze cone 10 reduction, the outcome could be beautiful with the rich red however, and if there is not enough oxidation then the result will be a brown. The second factor to consider is whether to use matte or glossy. I think that matte glazes feel great; like a smooth river rock and that’s how I want my cup to feel. However glossy looks beautiful and the sparkle is eye catching as well. However, the most important thing to realize is that the glaze must be natural for the mug. Do not use Raku glazes or lichen in my opinion.
That’s just the planning part of making a mug. The rest becomes much more complicated as the plan becomes executed. It is very easy to draw a picture of your intentions but being able to finish your plans is another story. There are a few steps in throwing the mug form. First, the clay must be chosen. There are many different types of clay to choose from all with varying amounts of elemental/chemical compositions which will affect the coloring of the glaze. The main clay body that I used was bee mix which is a white clay with low amounts of grog (large clay particles) in the clay. The more grog that is in the clay the easier the clay is to throw with however it additionally has a higher concentration of iron that will make the glazes turn different colors. Most noticeably will be with my white cone 10 glazes. These will be a faint marshmallow white with specks of green throughout.
After the form is thrown from the desired clay body, the handle is attached. The handle can be many different styles including, extruded and pulled. I practiced the pull handle because the handle will have more aesthetically pleasing look to it compared to the extruded handle. The attachment place and the finishing are key in both of these steps.
That is the basic way to make a mug and the steps that are included in doing so. Given this information, the mug becomes much more than the mass produce ideas that come from the commercial America. The mug is an extension on the artist to the start of a new day. In that mug lies, energy, hope and strength. A mug: more than just glass and clay…
Commercialism: excessive on making profit (Merriam-Webster)...pretty straight forward
Art: is the process or product of deliberately arranging elements in a way that appeals to the senses or emotions. It encompasses a diverse range of human activities, creations, and modes of expression, including music, literature, film, sculpture, and paintings. The meaning of art is explored in a branch of philosophy known as aesthetics (Wikipedia I generally would not use Wikipedia but because it is a public forum it helps to show what people consider art to be)
Functionality: a style of pottery in which the finished piece is intended for use
Perhaps people would better appreciate a handmade mug if they knew some basic concepts of a wheel thrown mug.
The first thing to consider is form. What style of mug are you going to use that will appeal to your audience and will be functional and aesthetically pleasing. The fact is that no person has the same favorite mug that is because none of our hands are the same. A mug in my mind should fit right in my hand so much so that I barely even have to use any pressure in order for the mug so stay in place. In addition, the mug needs to have a big enough handle that all four of my fingers can fit underneath it.
The second thing is the glaze. This is tricky because it seems like you would just choose a color and then go with it but there is more to it than that. For instance, you would choose a cranberry glaze cone 10 reduction, the outcome could be beautiful with the rich red however, and if there is not enough oxidation then the result will be a brown. The second factor to consider is whether to use matte or glossy. I think that matte glazes feel great; like a smooth river rock and that’s how I want my cup to feel. However glossy looks beautiful and the sparkle is eye catching as well. However, the most important thing to realize is that the glaze must be natural for the mug. Do not use Raku glazes or lichen in my opinion.
That’s just the planning part of making a mug. The rest becomes much more complicated as the plan becomes executed. It is very easy to draw a picture of your intentions but being able to finish your plans is another story. There are a few steps in throwing the mug form. First, the clay must be chosen. There are many different types of clay to choose from all with varying amounts of elemental/chemical compositions which will affect the coloring of the glaze. The main clay body that I used was bee mix which is a white clay with low amounts of grog (large clay particles) in the clay. The more grog that is in the clay the easier the clay is to throw with however it additionally has a higher concentration of iron that will make the glazes turn different colors. Most noticeably will be with my white cone 10 glazes. These will be a faint marshmallow white with specks of green throughout.
After the form is thrown from the desired clay body, the handle is attached. The handle can be many different styles including, extruded and pulled. I practiced the pull handle because the handle will have more aesthetically pleasing look to it compared to the extruded handle. The attachment place and the finishing are key in both of these steps.
That is the basic way to make a mug and the steps that are included in doing so. Given this information, the mug becomes much more than the mass produce ideas that come from the commercial America. The mug is an extension on the artist to the start of a new day. In that mug lies, energy, hope and strength. A mug: more than just glass and clay…
Matt Long:
Beautiful wheel thrown mugs that hug the hand and fit to the shape of the figures.
(http://www.fullvictory.com/gallery/cup1.html)
Beautiful wheel thrown mugs that hug the hand and fit to the shape of the figures.
(http://www.fullvictory.com/gallery/cup1.html)
Commercial Mug:
Serve the purpose but does not have the charisma and character that the Matt Long mugs do.
(http://www.mmsholding.com/mugsblank.gif )
Serve the purpose but does not have the charisma and character that the Matt Long mugs do.
(http://www.mmsholding.com/mugsblank.gif )
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