ART 365 A, B and C Intermediate Ceramics

Monday, September 26, 2016

Ideas About “The Meal"

My foremost inspiration for this assignment came from the Greek practice of symposium. This was essentially a drinking party that was an opportunity for people to share and develop philosophical ideas. My goal in this project is to construct a modern symposium but I plan to remove the normal layers of social interaction. I plan to serve a meal consisting of only water, alcohol and Soylent. This meal will only require cups and serving pitchers.

I looked into the original symposiums and their many traditions, I have decided to draw inspiration from the tradishonal form of the Ancient Greek Oenochoe. This style of pitcher was used to serve the wine I plan to use this form as inspiration for my alcohol serving vessels.

I also was interested in the more minimalist work of Careen Stoll, particularly in the way that the forms of both pitcher and cup are reminiscent of each other. I find the idea of having a set of glasses that are matched to their pitcher attractive. The use of color on the interior portions of the pieces I find effective as I plan to have little or no color in my own work for this project.

I also found the more open and clean forms of Karen Swyler’s work to be very interesting. These open vessels with tapered lips and diagonal lines I find to be energetic and visually interesting. I Plan to use some of these shapes and design elements in my own work. I also find myself drawn to the more minimalist pure white of these vessels as it offers no distraction from the skillful design.

Sunday, September 25, 2016

The Meal ideas

My inspiration comes from Older countryside french cooking and the artist Margaret Bohls. Bohls has functional pieces but with geometric and whimsical twist. They add a flare of drama and interest to otherwise normal tableware. These shapes and colors inspired me to create my designs as they fit my idea of fun and function.

(image from artaxis.org)

My other inspiration came from looking at French cookware that is commonly used to make rustic dishes. My mother went to culinary school quite a few years ago and learned how to use many of the equipment of classic French cuisine. I looked at examples for the names, and came upon Josie Walter. She has a book on clay cookware, and names like marmites, tians, and casserole came up.

(image from http://www.josiewalter.co.uk)

My whole life I have been around the food business. My grandfather and my mother worked in places like the Tacoma Dome, and other food establishments even before she went to culinary school. Food, and great tasting food at that, has always been a part of my life. My mother creates rustic, hearty yet flavorful dishes that my whole family enjoys. I want to create the same dishes and feelings she does, but with cookware that is unique and something no one else has, yet still be functional. I want to add points, and geometry to my pieces to make them whimsical, so that I feel inspired to cook as well as my mom does

The Meal.

For this assignment I was inspired by Gregg Moore and historic European dishes. Moore makes berry baskets (containers that are typically disposable) with porcelain. I am really interested by the persistence of an object despite its purpose to be disposable. The environment is suffering because the ‘out of sight out of mind’ mentality associated with human waste.

(artaxis.com)

Historic European dishes make such a big deal about everything. The designs and structures are fussy and delicate that you don’t even want to use the vessels, or you don’t possess the precious baby hands it requires to utilize them.

(book: European Ceramics by Robin Hildyard pg. 94)

For my meal I want to make disposable food containers adorned with swirly, delicate nonsense. My hope is to make a big deal out of typically uncelebrated and insignificant meals. (I'm not done sketching the swirly delicate nonsense, so chill.)