Wheel Throwing Artist Statement
On the first day of the wheel throwing unit, I remember being excited about being able to do the pottery technique made famous by the movie “Ghost”. After attempting at making my first mug, I was still excited but I realized that this unit would be more than just going through the motions. Wheel throwing was a difficult unit because it was something that I had never tried before. Even more exasperating was that the clay could be turning into the most beautiful cylinder until a tiny little slip ruined it. After a few ruined mugs, I learned to focus until the very end. The intense concentration that wheel throwing required pertained to all of the other processes that followed: trimming demanded courage to be able to stick a knife through what may be your best work, adding handles called for the perfect timing, and high-fire glaze made you pay attention to the slightest unevenness.
The theme that unifies my set of mugs is the shape. A handle at the top that starts out thin, yet wide tapers into a narrower form at the bottom. The general shape of the mug is similar in that the walls are perpendicular to the bottom, although the mugs differ in specific dimensions. I knew that I would want to display these mugs with pride at home and use them all the time so I made the design not only visually pleasing but also comfortable. I purposefully used two different colors of glaze for the two mugs to show that despite a seemingly different appearance, the two were unified. I realized the pivotal role of structure in Ceramics class because pottery is something that we can use daily. Finding something special in what can be deemed “normal” was the theme I wanted to pursue in my pottery. The minimalistic design of my mugs accentuated this desired trait. The smooth flow of the handles, complemented by the simple shapes of the body, I hope, will relax those who drink out of these mugs. I want to be able to grab my mug first rather than something my parents bought so I created the mugs in a way that made them aesthetic and easy to use.
What I learned most, however, was the wheel throwing process itself because there were so many unfamiliar, unexplored things. Regarding the origins of my theme, the design sprang from a mistake I did not want to fix. The walls of the mugs are very thin: this was my mistake. However, the round shapes as well as the straight sides of the cylinder made me think otherwise. I used the thin walls to my advantage to create a sturdy, but thin mug using thin, but wide handles to accompany the overall thin structure. For instance, centering was the most fundamental but difficult process. Centering your clay by throwing it on the wheel then making slight changes to its location was the most important step in creating a balanced mug. I found it easier to, after centering the clay somewhat by moving it, carve out some parts of the clay that was not centered. In addition, keeping my arms still for the whole wheel throwing process was another difficulty I had to overcome. I placed my elbows on my knees and squeezed my arms regardless of what the clay was doing initially to keep the clay at the center of the wheel. I also noticed that the speed and direction, determined by the wheel, had to be changed for every different process of creating the mug. As with all other projects, determining the plasticity and strength of the clay was another difficulty, especially because the mugs had to be trimmed for an even lip and foot.
The theme that unifies my set of mugs is the shape. A handle at the top that starts out thin, yet wide tapers into a narrower form at the bottom. The general shape of the mug is similar in that the walls are perpendicular to the bottom, although the mugs differ in specific dimensions. I knew that I would want to display these mugs with pride at home and use them all the time so I made the design not only visually pleasing but also comfortable. I purposefully used two different colors of glaze for the two mugs to show that despite a seemingly different appearance, the two were unified. I realized the pivotal role of structure in Ceramics class because pottery is something that we can use daily. Finding something special in what can be deemed “normal” was the theme I wanted to pursue in my pottery. The minimalistic design of my mugs accentuated this desired trait. The smooth flow of the handles, complemented by the simple shapes of the body, I hope, will relax those who drink out of these mugs. I want to be able to grab my mug first rather than something my parents bought so I created the mugs in a way that made them aesthetic and easy to use.
What I learned most, however, was the wheel throwing process itself because there were so many unfamiliar, unexplored things. Regarding the origins of my theme, the design sprang from a mistake I did not want to fix. The walls of the mugs are very thin: this was my mistake. However, the round shapes as well as the straight sides of the cylinder made me think otherwise. I used the thin walls to my advantage to create a sturdy, but thin mug using thin, but wide handles to accompany the overall thin structure. For instance, centering was the most fundamental but difficult process. Centering your clay by throwing it on the wheel then making slight changes to its location was the most important step in creating a balanced mug. I found it easier to, after centering the clay somewhat by moving it, carve out some parts of the clay that was not centered. In addition, keeping my arms still for the whole wheel throwing process was another difficulty I had to overcome. I placed my elbows on my knees and squeezed my arms regardless of what the clay was doing initially to keep the clay at the center of the wheel. I also noticed that the speed and direction, determined by the wheel, had to be changed for every different process of creating the mug. As with all other projects, determining the plasticity and strength of the clay was another difficulty, especially because the mugs had to be trimmed for an even lip and foot.