“I try to contrast; life today is full of contrast… We have to change.” –Gianni Versace. Contrast has really controlled the outcome of my projects during my first semester as an advanced ceramic student. The world is in a constant contrast, and really, that is what makes it interesting. I chose to relate this into my art for that reason exactly; to be to be unique, to be fascinating.
I made many projects with contrast in mind, however a few really stand out. My second bowl has a very simple contrast. It has horizontal rivets, and vertical glazing. The glaze is also partially matte, and partially shiny, but both are shades of blue to tie it together. My set of three also is mostly contrasting because of the glaze. I chose to make similarly shaped vases, and a cylinder and glazed them yin and yang style. They are all clear, but the other color varies. I purposefully glazed them in non-coinciding glazes, so that when they were set up by each other they didn’t all blend together. Thus far, the most contrasting piece I have made is my theme choice two, which is a white cup, with a forest green handle. Not only does the glaze contrast, but also so does the overall shape. The body of the cup opens to a horizontal circle, while the handle is a vertical half circle. There are many more projects, but those are my most notable.
There are many ways to make a contrasting piece of art. I started in a basic way, directed glaze. Shiny and matte glazing is an effective way to make sure a simple bowl is noticed. I never did a full contrast project; instead I almost always had an element that tied it all back together, like the set of three. All are different shapes, although they are similar. The glaze is a yin and yang style, and incorporates clear in all of them, but the main color is different for each. On some of my projects, like my theme cup, the contrast is mostly in the design of the cup. I made sure the cup was a very wide, horizontal circle, and the handle was a very narrow, vertical half circle. The glaze on that cup itself is not the contrast; it just accentuates the design of the cup.
My opening quote really sums up why I chose contrast. The world as a whole is always changing, and with it we change too. But like the worlds’ changes, my projects’ contrasts’ are subtle. The point is to make people take another look, but not because it is obnoxious. A human’s eye is trained to like perfect symmetry, and the contrast brings our eyes back around to acknowledge that something is different, but upon examination we realize that it is beautiful in it’s own way too. Contrast is simply a second glance. Beyond that it is unexpected. Anyone can make a perfect bowl, and glaze it in clear, but it is very cliché. I wanted my projects to stand by all the others, and have their own style, and voice.
Advanced ceramics is a learning curve. You come back after being a “newb”, having only a little knowledge of the ceramic’s world. At first I didn’t know what I wanted my theme to be, but once I got on the wheel, I realized that making perfect projects was boring. I wanted to learn new techniques, but to do that; you must surrender the need to be perfect. Contrast does not ruin a project, in my mind it makes it all the better. My projects shine, not despite their contrasts, but because of them.
I made many projects with contrast in mind, however a few really stand out. My second bowl has a very simple contrast. It has horizontal rivets, and vertical glazing. The glaze is also partially matte, and partially shiny, but both are shades of blue to tie it together. My set of three also is mostly contrasting because of the glaze. I chose to make similarly shaped vases, and a cylinder and glazed them yin and yang style. They are all clear, but the other color varies. I purposefully glazed them in non-coinciding glazes, so that when they were set up by each other they didn’t all blend together. Thus far, the most contrasting piece I have made is my theme choice two, which is a white cup, with a forest green handle. Not only does the glaze contrast, but also so does the overall shape. The body of the cup opens to a horizontal circle, while the handle is a vertical half circle. There are many more projects, but those are my most notable.
There are many ways to make a contrasting piece of art. I started in a basic way, directed glaze. Shiny and matte glazing is an effective way to make sure a simple bowl is noticed. I never did a full contrast project; instead I almost always had an element that tied it all back together, like the set of three. All are different shapes, although they are similar. The glaze is a yin and yang style, and incorporates clear in all of them, but the main color is different for each. On some of my projects, like my theme cup, the contrast is mostly in the design of the cup. I made sure the cup was a very wide, horizontal circle, and the handle was a very narrow, vertical half circle. The glaze on that cup itself is not the contrast; it just accentuates the design of the cup.
My opening quote really sums up why I chose contrast. The world as a whole is always changing, and with it we change too. But like the worlds’ changes, my projects’ contrasts’ are subtle. The point is to make people take another look, but not because it is obnoxious. A human’s eye is trained to like perfect symmetry, and the contrast brings our eyes back around to acknowledge that something is different, but upon examination we realize that it is beautiful in it’s own way too. Contrast is simply a second glance. Beyond that it is unexpected. Anyone can make a perfect bowl, and glaze it in clear, but it is very cliché. I wanted my projects to stand by all the others, and have their own style, and voice.
Advanced ceramics is a learning curve. You come back after being a “newb”, having only a little knowledge of the ceramic’s world. At first I didn’t know what I wanted my theme to be, but once I got on the wheel, I realized that making perfect projects was boring. I wanted to learn new techniques, but to do that; you must surrender the need to be perfect. Contrast does not ruin a project, in my mind it makes it all the better. My projects shine, not despite their contrasts, but because of them.