Semesterly Information:

• Office Hours
  T-R 10-12
  W 11-12
• Final Exam: See University Exam Schedule
• Suggested events (not part of the class) this year and beyond:
  • NCECA 2010, 44th Annual Conference Philadelphia, PA, March 31-April 3, 2010 (advance warning) http://nceca.net
  • Gruene TX, Texas Clay Festival , Last full weekend in October 24-25 http://www.texasclayfestival.com/home.html

Stable Information and Teacher Information:

• Name of Instructor:  Katz, Louis
• Office phone number: 361 825-5987
• E-mail address:louis.katz@tamucc.edu
• Office number and building: CA112
• This syllabus is subject to change.

ART 4324 ADVANCED CERAMICS

BREAKAGE, LOSS, FIRING ACCIDENTS Ceramics is fragile, firing is difficult and full of unknowns, especially in a group situation. It is inevitable that some pieces will be lost, broken, or misfired. While losses are regrettable they will happen. The faculty and TAMU-CC cannot be held liable for such accidents. Students should handle work carefully and as little as possible. All work must be marked with a student's initials or stamp.

• LOCKERS: See the Art Office (CA107) to reserve a locker in the hallway. You will need one. The sooner you get one the closer it will be to the studio.  If you wait there might not be one available.
• STUDIO HOURS:
  • You may use the Ceramics Lab any time when the building is open except during class time for the other sections of Ceramics or during floor cleaning.
  • The class will involve work in the studio outside of class time.
  • The building is open many nights and weekends. Check on the front door, or with the building supervisor for details. It may be closed Thanksgiving weekend and Labor Day weekend and MLK day.
• CALENDAR: Ceramics is a time sensitive medium. Allowing projects to dry slow and even makes work less prone to cracking and easier to manipulate. Consequently work completed late in the semester will have a greater chance of cracking in the drying process. It is often possible to finish a piece in a small fraction of the time it would take to do it in one week if you spread the work out.

  Approximately two weeks before final exams will be the end of the time when wet clay can be used.(this date is different in the summer). This date is not fixed until a month before the end of the semester. If most of the work in the studio is already bisqued a few more days of wet work can be added. If little has been bisqued a few more days for firing will be needed and there will be less time for wet work. Even with this two week lead, objects made the last few days for wet work will need to be small if they are to survive the fast drying necessary. Roughly one week before finals will be the last time pots can be glazed. This will occur during dead week. The exact date for the last day for wet work is determined by the amount of work in the studio still needing to fired at the end of the semester.

  Occasionally there is too much work to fire in the last week. If the work was glazed before the last day to glaze and it was on the racks to be fired before the last day for them to be placed there it will be graded as if is was glaze fired. Work still needing firing may be brought back into ceramics at the beginning of the next long semester for firing. It may not be left in the studio between semesters. Work left in the studio between semesters will be thrown away.

• Required statements:
  *Notice to Students with Disabilities:  Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act in making reasonable accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. If you suspect that you may have a disability (physical impairment, learning disability, psychiatric disability, etc.), please contact the Services for Students with Disabilities Office, located in Driftwood 101, at 825-5816. If you need disability accommodations in this class, please see me as soon as possible. 

  **ACADEMIC ADVISING:  The College of Liberal Arts requires that students meet with an Academic Advisor as soon as they are ready to declare a major. The Academic Advisor will set up a degree plan, which must be signed by the student, a faculty mentor, and the department chair. The College's Academic Advising Center is located in Driftwood 203E, and can be reached at 825-3466.

  *** Grade Appeal Process.  As stated in University Rule 13.02.99.C2, Student Grade Appeals, a student who believes that he or she has not been held to appropriate academic standards as outlined in the class syllabus, equitable evaluation procedures, or appropriate grading, may appeal the final grade given in the course. The burden of proof is upon the student to demonstrate the appropriateness of the appeal.  A student with a complaint about a grade is encouraged to first discuss the matter with the instructor.  For complete details, including the responsibilities of the parties involved in the process and the number of days allowed for completing the steps in the process, see University Rule
  13.02.99.C2, Student Grade Appeals, and University Procedure 13.02.99.C2.01, Student
  Grade Appeal Procedures. These documents are accessible through the University Rules
  Web site at http://www.tamucc.edu/provost/university_rules/index.html. For assistance and/or guidance in the grade appeal process, students may contact the Office of Student Affairs.

  **** Because art studios use materials and tools that could be dangerous, safe and cooperative behavior by students is absolutely necessary. The studio course instructor will be the ultimate judge of cooperative as well as safe and unsafe behavior. Individuals engaging in uncooperative and/or unsafe behavior will be cautioned and instructed once by the instructor. If a second occasion of uncooperative and/or unsafe behavior occurs, that student will be un-enrolled from the course and given a “wd” with no refund of tuition and fees. (per Dean Richard Gigliotti)

Course Specific Information

• Course title: Advanced Ceramics
• Course number: ART 4324
• Course description: Advanced Ceramics covers different material each semester. This allows the student the ability to take Advanced Ceramics multiple times without much repetition of content. In addition to class assignments, Advanced Ceramics students are expected to develop their own personal agenda in the medium. The assignments given will usually be open enough to allow the students agenda to be imposed upon them. Specific Assignments are contained in the assignments page.
• Student Learning Outcomes:
  1. To become more competent in throwing and/or handbuilding techniques and concepts.
  2. To increase surface application skills and develop a palette of glazes and/or slips.
  3. To increase competency in loading and firing kilns.
  4. To become more aware of historical and contemporary ceramic art.
  5. To develop a personal agenda and body of work.
  6. Student will gain a broader understanding of the scope of the medium and and participate in more discussion of philosophical issues surrounding the field.

Graded activity:

Advanced Class Assignments

Read Syllabus and Class materials completely.

Individual Project(s)

1. Meet with instructor within the first three class periods to determine your focus for the project and the expected amount of work.
2. At the very least meet informally weekly to discuss current status of the project
3. Develop and test surfaces for the project before the time crunch at the end of the semester. (by midterm)

Attached Multiples

• Using a press mold, throwing, handbuilding, or another technique, make a whole out of many pieces.
• How will they attach?
• What is the optimum number of pieces?
• How will they be glazed?
• Have you considered non-regular arrangements?

Stacked Multiples

Make a series of objects meant to be stacked in the soda kiln. The objects should make use of stacking to affect how they look after firing. They may be plates, cups, sculptures, whatever. Make the stacking an important part of the design. You can use wadding, slips, glazing, soluble salts and flashing as decorative elements. You must stack them in the kiln.

Process

Make a piece that has a surface eroded by water, cracked in drying, or in some other way clearly depicts the effects of a handsfree process on the material. Bend it as necessary, but discuss it with your instructor first. Regardless of the size or complexity of your piece bring it to a high state of finish. The finished product may be photographic, paper, sound recording, video or clay.

Glazes

Mix a series of 10 glaze tests using the following guidlines. Each glaze test should be 200 grams total + any colorant.

• Petalite 0-50 grams
• Minspar 0-100 grams
• Whiting 0-50 grams
• Glass Cullet 0-100 grams
• Clay 20-60 grams (redart, kaolin, ball clay, Ranger Clay, Arroyo, Alberta,) The glaze must have at least 20 grams of clay. If the clay content is below 30 grams the clay must be ball clay
• Silica 0-50 grams
• Dolomite 0-50 grams
• Strontium Carbonate 0-20 grams
• Lithium Carbonate 0-20 grams (use only with glazes that do not have Whiting, or Dolomite)

Use one of the following colorants: Copper Carbonate 2%, Titanium Dioxide 2%, Mason Black Stain 2%

Glazes should be tested on 2" wide 4 " long bent tiles that stand in the kiln and have holes (use a pencil) to fit on our glaze test board. All tiles must be clearly marked in red iron oxide. Labe the tiles with your initials and a number 1-10 . Mine would be LK1 LK2 LK3 etc. These glaze test must be reduction fired by the first kiln after midterm. A record must be entered in the lab computer for each glaze.

Firing

Advanced students are expected to actively participate in the firing, loading and maintenance of kilns. Washing shelves, cleaning burners and loading kilns are normal skills required in a studio. At the end of the semester you should be able to light our kilns, adjust them for reduction, load them and clean the kiln shelves properly.

Attend technical lectures each week

Vocabulary Self Study

Students will learn to identify the following styles, kilns, and artist's typical work:

• Peter Volkous
• Richard Notkin
• Akio Takamori
• Toshiko Takaezu
• Rosalie Wynkoop
• Linda Arbuckle
• Palisy Ware
• George Orr
• Shoji Hamada Enameled ware
• Gail Nichols
• Historic:
  • Shino
  • Oribe
  • Shigaraki
  • T'ang style
  • Thomas Toft
  • Wedgewood

These will be tested with images and a multiple choice test on the 17th class day. In 200909 it will be on October 22. Late takes of the test will be docked 10%

Please note that this semester (200909) this assignment will be given to both intermediate and advanced classes.

Grading Rubric

Name:(print neat) ________________________________________________________Semester 2008 07 Ceramics 1

Grades

A "B" requires that each of the practices have been completed except 1 and each of the projects is done to a satisfactory standard. A vocaulary test grade of at least 70% is required.

An "A" requires that each of the practices is done and that each project is satisfactory and at least 3 (Individual project counts 2) is excellent. Excellence is defined as BFA Exhibition quality. This can further be defined as haveing a sense of intendedness to all details including surface, and clarity of idea. A vocaulary test grade of at least 70% is required.

A Grade of C requires glaze kiln loading, clay mixing, and 3 of the projects completed Satisfactory or better. A vocaulary test grade of at least 60% is required.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

• -having a HEPA respirator for use in class
• -having a pair of rubber gloves available for glazing
• -Completion of all projects assigned. Participation in class activities and excercises.
• -Evidence of, and results from a students personal ceramic agenda. It should be apparent what the student is working towards.
• -Preparation of clay. Mixing may take place outside of class time. Do not plan to mix clay during the beginning classes time.
• -Participation in loading, firing, and unloading of group kilns, and preparation of clay and glazes.
• -Participation in class projects, if any.
• -All project work and outside work to be graded must be available for review at the end of the semester. Due to space limitations finished work may not be stored in the ceramics studios. If work will not fit in lockers, students must make other arrangements for safe storage- i.e., take work home, etc. Again, all work must be available for review at semester's end.
• -Tests: students may be tested on class information, safety information, vocabulary and reading assignments.
• -Studio Hygiene and Safety: read, sign, and hand in student agreement, attached. Students using equipment or materials in an unsafe manner may be prevented from using the ceramics facility even if this results in a failing grade. All students are required to clean up their work areas before leaving the studio and do other studio cleaning as necessary.
• -RESEARCH- to enrich their own work, students should:
• -Make a habit of looking at Ceramics publications -Become familiar with The Library's large collection of Ceramic titles and periodicals. Search under subject headings Ceramics, Clay and Pottery or head for the stacks.
• -NOTEBOOK-Students are required to keep a notebook with all class information, all handouts including this syllabus, results of glaze tests, and notes from class lectures. Students will be expected to have this notebook every day in class with a writing implement. Students arriving without a notebook may be recorded as absent. The notebook will be checked during the final exam. It is not expected that the notebook will be finely presented or worked on other than it containing the above mentioned information.

ATTENDANCE:

• LATENESS- It is essential that students come to class ON TIME. Important information will be given each class during the first few minutes of class. Arriving for class late four times is equal to one absence. Lateness is disrespectful to the teacher and other students. Late students are expected to not ask questions during the lectures that they were late to.
• This is a studio class. Attendance is mandatory. There is no "make up work" to compensate for missed class time. Some information will be imparted only during class.
• It is the students responsibility follow attendance procedures during class to make sure they are recorded properly.
•  Most projects will require a minimum of three hours work outside of class for every three hours spent in class.
• INCOMPLETE POLICY- Incompletes are given at the instructors discretion. They involve extra work from the instructor and use university facilites taking class space. The student must be able to complete the work with minimal input from the instructor. The incompletes must be for a reason that can be justified by the instructor to the dean, provost and department chair. For more information consult your catalog. Ware made for for incompletes must be bone dry by the next long semester's mid term, and must be glaze fired before the last 2 weeks of classes.
• You may use the Ceramics Studio any time the building is open except during floor cleaning and other ceramics classes.

CRITIQUES:

• New work will be placed on tables for critique on the first class meeting of each week.

GRADING CRITERIA:

• -Students will be evaluated on their completion of course requirements. Tests will be graded and returned. Class projects are expected to demonstrate the techniques concepts and skills each assignment emphasizes. Projects will not be individually graded.
• See the grading sheet for more information

STUDIO HOURS:

• You may use the Ceramics Studio any time the building is open except during floor cleaning and other ceramics classes.

BREAKAGE, LOSS, FIRING ACCIDENTS

REQUIRED TEXT

SUGGESTED TEXTS:

It is suggested that the student read books, visit websites, frequent the library magazine racks and take every opportunity to see actual ceramic work in the flesh. This includes visits to Aloe Tile, Wilhelmi Holland Gallery, museums, potters in other cities and states, other schools, conferences, anywhere. ...

• A Potter's Workbook- Clary Illian, University of Iowa press ISBN 0-87745-671-2, excellent text on form for throwers.
• Ceramics Monthly Magazine PO Box 12448 Columbus Ohio 43212, (614) 891-8960 ORDER TODAY ask for the current issue. All serious ceramists in the U.S. should get this.
• THE CRAFT OF THE POTTER, A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO MAKING POTTERY- Michael Casson: just as the title indicates, a technique oriented book with good step-by-step illustrations to many ceramic processes. Especially strong as regards throwing.
• A POTTER'S BOOK- by Bernard Leach. A classic, this book was the inspiration for many of this centuries greatest potters. It has some very good basic information, but is better as an expression of a philosophical stance towards pottery.

LOCKERS: See Art Office to reserve a locker in the hallway.

REQUIRED TOOLS:

• HEPA type dust respirator, rubber gloves REQUIRED. Paper masks are Not appropriate. MSA Model 00817664 or 00817663 are suggested.
• lidded containers for glaze tests. These may not be drinking cups. Have these the third day of class . You will need containers for glaze test assignments.

SUGGESTED TOOLS: this list is intended only as a guide- you may find you need or want other tools.

• -chamois for thrown and hadbuilt edges.
• -gloves
• -brushes for slips and glazes. If you want to see catalogs to order from, ask.
• -notebook
• -bat pins
• -thin plastic drop cloths (.03 mm) for covering work.
• -work clothes: You might want to keep a change of clothes that you can get very dirty in your locker, also closed top, sensible shoes. You cannot use the studio wearing sandals or high heels. See student agreement.
• -hair control devices: long hair must be tied back when using potter's wheel, mixing clay, using the grinder, or firing kilns.
• -Scarf or cap: to cover your hair when mixing clay or glaze, sweeping, or other dusty jobs.