BFA Thesis Exhibition 24’
(Tea)Constructed
Through a dynamic exploration of wheel-thrown and sculptural techniques, my work investigates how the material qualities of clay convey conceptual ideas that subvert traditional expectations. By radically manipulating the scale and form of a traditionally domestic item such as the teapot, these large ceramic works create a sense of confusion and tension, sparking conversation around the ideas of domesticity, balance, and the historical notions surrounding these vessels. The first sculpture of the (Tea)constructed series is the closest representation to a traditional teapot. The base ruffled, creating a skirt for the work to rest elegantly on the pedestal, moving up the sculpture a mix of technically executed and altered wheel thrown forms combined with thumb printed rough coils. The form creates a more traditional vessel but distorts the scale and a more traditional method of creation. This work sits roughly at three feet in height, eighteen inches in width and two feet in depth. The distortion of scale allows the viewer to question the usability of this object. Questioning how this pot would pour, how to load the brewed liquids into the vessel, etc. The work aims to destroy and deconstruct what this vessel is.
The tactile process of sculpting these forms enables an intimate exploration of these recurring themes of power structures, tradition and balance while emphasizing the very medium itself and its meditative properties. I aim to test the bounds of tradition and assumptions around clay's uses throughout history. My current focus on sculptural teapots combines traditional techniques with contemporary accents of the manipulation of scale. Scale of these objects ranging from 3 to 5 feet in height create a non-usable aspect to these already contorted forms. In this body of work I aimed to explore the limits and versatile properties of clay. The tactile experience of the material allows for an intuitive interaction of form and subject matter. These contorted and organic forms are created with the intention of confronting the form while emphasizing the beauty of the material itself. The main body used is a rich, dark stoneware clay containing manganese which creates a milk chocolate hue in an oxidation environment but when introduced to a reduction environment, where the oxygen is being deprived from the clay molecules it turns the outer layers to a deep metallic blue hue. The rough, visually heavy material is then being contrasted with a pure white raku clay body that is then coated with a satin white glaze to ensure a strong contrast. The third piece in the series which is the largest standing at around 3 and a half feet tall and 2 feet in width and depth. The work is created with only the dark metallic clay body, the form starts at the base with a rounded form utilizing the gestural marking of my thumb pressed repeatedly into each coil. The base shifts dramatically as the form gets taller, leaning to the left creating a negative space within the form. The shape continues to twist upwards as it breaks into two “spouts”, varying coil size and width. To finish the coils the ends are tapered dramatically to restrict the volume of liquids passing through the vessel, the larger spout being finished with a ribbed, fleshy tone inside the tip to create a sense of uncertainty and disgust. This form doesn’t feature any white clay but it does utilize a white underglaze that was applied and wiped away to highlight the gestural thumb markings but to also continue to utilize the atmospheric effects of the dark clay body. The wash created many tones of brown, white and black depending on the thickness. It also adds a layer of depth and creates a sense of attention to the gestural marking within each coil. The works are created with the intention of enhancing the atmospheric effects on the clay as well as how they are being manipulated and worked. The dark metallic body is rolled into varying coils, the coils are then roughly stacked and manipulated, pressing distinct markings from the intimate interaction with the material. In contrast, the white raku body is gently wedged, homogenizing the plate like molecules of clay for a more unified throwing experience. The wedged balls of clay are then technically executed wheel-thrown and altered vessels that are then set to the side and covered in plastic to ensure a slow, even drying until the vessel is strong enough to hold its shape. Once the vessel is at a leather hard stage they are then attached and integrated into the coils.
In a more traditional sense function refers to the practical use, application or operation something is designed and made for. Typically the practicality of the form takes hold over aesthetic concerns. Function can typically be broken down into a few categories. First is purpose, the purpose of an item such as a teapot in general holds similar properties. To brew boiling water with tea leaves to then consume. Practicality is an additional category within function. Practicality typically refers to the pragmatic considerations over aesthetic and artistic decisions. The last category I will discuss regarding functionality is efficiency, well-functioning designs work reliably, conveniently and facilitate minimum effort for the task or function being served. With the ideas of functionality and usability, my work aims to destroy the traditional notions of function and the idea of a teapot.j Contemporary artists such as the Haas Brothers are one of many influences for my current work, the use of varying materials, manipulation of said materials and the scale of their work pushes traditional notions of functional objects in the contemporary furniture and design world. They explore materials such as fabrics, ceramic, brass, wood and cast metals to create anthropomorphic, whimsical objects that now exist in this current world that now serve some purpose. I find the interrogation of functionality very interesting in this material based society as well. Similar to my work it aims to push the bounds of functionality in many aspects, one being tested by enlarging the scale of these teapots all upwards of three feet in height to challenge the usability limit, although technically able to hold liquids as well as pour said liquids. Lalana Fedorschak and Jason Briggs also push traditional notions of ceramics forms through innovative techniques such as attaching hair follicles individually within the anthropomorphic porcelain objects that Briggs creates and Fedorschak utilizing materials like steel to suspend said anthropomorphic objects. The methods in which my forms are created both hold meditative properties to my practice and create a rhythmic interaction during the process of rolling coils, applying slip to both the surfaces being attached and scoring each piece, slowly pinching the previous coils together. The process of wheel throwing can also be a very meditative and grounding process. In the process of wheel throwing, there is a smooth, harmonious interaction between my hands and the malleable, soft clay. As the material spins, it yields perfectly to being pushed and pulled into the desired form, guided by specific points of pressure. The resulting precariously stacked pieces evoke a sense of unease, heightened by the distinct gestural markings left behind during the making process. These markings continue to reveal my intimate, hands-on interaction with the clay, bearing witness to the work's creation.
The traditional, generalized concept of a teapot was that it was a utilitarian vessel for tea services such as brewing and serving. By way of function the teapot was traditionally created from insulating materials such as ceramic and cast iron. Tea and traditions behind tea span from health benefits, cultural ceremonies and political or social revolution. Consumption of tea is believed to have begun in China around 2737 B.C under the rule of Emperor Shen Nong when he was resting under a tea tree and some leaves fell into his boiling water. Other perspectives of the origins of tea consumption started in India with the Prince Bodhi- Dharma who was also a saint that founded the school of Buddhism. Dharma in the year 520 was believed to have traveled to China to expand zen principles. To prove Zen principles he vowed to meditate for nine years without sleep, the legend states towards the end of the nine year duration he fell asleep and when he woke up, so distraught he cut off his own eyelids. The eyelids then sprung a tea plant on the spot as a result of his sacrifice. This legend is an example of how tea and the notions around tea cultures are significant for many social practices. The teapots we know today were believed to have originated in China around 1300 A.D.
The Yixing teapot was extremely well known for its use of Zisha stoneware clay, unglazed finish and distinct brewing methods of seasoning the teapot overtime by allowing the tea to seep into the clay to slowly introduce the brewed tea aromas in the clay particles making it “seasoned”. The concept is very similar to the idea of a well-seasoned cast iron pan, which allows those flavors to build up overtime. Commodification of the teapot was introduced through Chinese trade to Japan and eventually to Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries. As the commodification of these items increased, the production levels rapidly increased but the aspects of functionality began to allow for more room of aesthetic choice and artistic freedom while still holding the form as a priority. As demand increased the status and hierarchy of tea cultures gained prominence in the western world as well. Reserving the object and actions surrounding the vessel to the upper class and aristocracy, ornate and heavily decorative teapots became symbols of social status, held in comparison to traditional works of art such as oil paintings and other traditional fine art forms. The main focus became more and more prominently driven by aesthetics, refined craftsmanship and viewed as a luxury item.
Although teapots bear a deep and rich historical context, they have also fallen into a category of mundane, overlooked objects. Collecting dust in your grandmother’s china cabinet or tucked away haphazardly in cluttered storage rooms. These vessels, once cherished for their artistry and used as centerpieces of ceremonial traditions, too often now find themselves discarded as irrelevant relics overshadowed by contemporary convenience. Straddling the line between the extraordinary and the ordinary, teapots exist in a liminal space -oozing with cultural heritage yet dismissed as commonplace, their craftsmanship and significance overlooked amid the routine busyness of everyday life. Yet perhaps it is this very duality that renders the teapot a compelling subject - an artifact whispering of bygone rituals while occupying the forgotten margins of our current experiences, lingering unnoticed on dusty shelves as reminders of its once-celebrated role.
In conclusion, my work aims to provoke a sense of tension, confusion, and dialogue by challenging and breaking traditional notions of the material. Whether wheel thrown, sculptural or both, I aim to explore clay's ability to convey conceptual ideas. The tactile, experience of working with clay enables me to intimately investigate these themes of power, tradition, and balance or lack thereof. Ultimately, my pieces aspire to spark curiosity and conversation around the materiality of clay and c. This body of work aims to represent an ongoing dialogue discussing the boundaries of ceramics as a conceptual art form.
Bibliography
Susan Peterson, Contemporary Ceramics, Watson- Guptill publications, New York, NY, 2000.
Suzanne J. E. Tourtillott, 500 teapots, Lark Books, New York, NY, 2002
Jabor mahmoud, Rasool ; Hussein Alwan, Ali, Intellectual And Artistic Concepts of The Cultural Context And Their Impact On Contemporary Ceramic Sculpture, University of Baghdad College of Fine Arts, 2023
Jo Lauria, Gretchen Atkins, Color and fire : defining moments in studio ceramics, 1950-2000 : selections from the Smits collection and related works at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, LACMA in association with Rizzoli International Publications, Los Angeles, California, 2000, pg; 217- 234
“A History of Tea - from Myth to Modern Day.” A HISTORY OF TEA - FROM MYTH TO MODERN DAY | Peet’s Coffee. Accessed April 25, 2024. https://www.peets.com/blogs/peets/a-history-of-tea.
