Blog #1

The busts from A Show of Heads II were really amazing but my two favorites were Cristina Cordova's "Nave" and Tip Toland's "Deafening" for a couple of reasons. Nave has a lot of beautiful aspects to it such as the clay having the effect of tears coming out of his left eye, also there is something about the mouth and it's slight openness that I find very appealing as well as engaging. As for Deafening it just has amazing realness with the wrinkles and gesture of her face scrunched up while her collar bone sinks in, the teeth are a really nice touch too.

Meanwhile the two pieces I enjoyed most from the blog were Jomon 2000 and Jomon tall form. I enjoyed the first not only because of the designs but I really enjoy the form being wider at the top and the incorporation of the handles. The tall form just looks so intriguing with its design which reminds me of a woven basket and it's strange rim.

Assignment #1 - Kori Lumpkin

The first picture that I found was of a Haniwa Boat. I liked the  features of what I assume are the posts, and how instead of sails they have geometric ornaments. This piece seemed to utilize a lot of geometric shapes with hard lines. I liked how this complimented the overall circular shape of the boat hull. I also liked how instead of it appearing to be on water, it appeared to be sitting on a house or some other type of building.

For the second piece, I chose the Haniwa Boar. At first, I thought that it resembled a platypus - it seemed to have a bill of sorts. I like the detail of the curly tail, as well as the simple features of the boar itself. After reading that it was a boar, I could see how the legs seem to be tied, and the eyes closed as if the boar was being roasted for a feast. I like that this piece was simplistic.

On the Jacob Foran site, I was drawn to two heads in particular. The first head, "King" was created by Jacob Foran. I liked the simple colors of this piece as well as the texture look that the glaze has on the face. I   like how the turquoise on the crown is accented by the gold edges. I was first drawn to the expression on the face of this King, to me it seems like he was a look of slight boredom, as if someone is speaking to him and he is bored and doesn't care. The eyes really show this expression well. 

The final piece I selected was "Krishna" by Judy Fox. I liked the use of flat colors in this head. I felt that the colors were reminiscent of the coloring of the sculptures found in the Terracotta Army of the Emperor Qin Shi Huang. I liked the ornament placed around the hair bun as well. I could not as readily tell what the expression on this face was depicted as showing as I felt like I could in the first sculpture I chose. 

Blog I

I really liked these sculptures, they are really interesting to me but I am having a hard time explaining why. But when I saw them, I thought to myself "Wow." I think I like them because they are a really simple design, but the cut out circles make them really dynamic. I also love how they look like they were broken almost and put back together. It is a really cool effect.

I also chose this piece, but for a whole different reason. I chose this one because it looks so unbelievably complex and has so much fine detail to it. I love how it looks likes almost like a monster or something very powerful. It is very beautiful.

I have seen this sculpture before and it truly amazed me. It is so realistic and yet somehow a bit cartoonish, and it is a creepy old man, so it sort of creeps me out. BUT, it is so amazing. I love the detail that they got in not only the sculpting aspects of the wrinkles and the bone structure, but also in the paint job. It is spectacular.

Last but not least, I chose this one. I was drawn to this one because of the color at first, but then I really liked it because of how strange it is. I like that there isn't a lot of detail on the face, but it is focusing more on the teeth and the colors. I also thought the strange loopy point was pretty fun on the top of his head. 

Blog I

This piece stood out to me for several reasons. First of all, I greatly admire the texture. It looks as though someone put a lot of work into this, displayed in the strict attention to detail and the creativity portrayed. The pattern is not unlike a herringbone stitch, which gives the illusion of a soft, almost fabric-like surface. The design at the opening of the ceramic is beautiful, and gave me an impression of movement. In speculation, the holes at the top may have been used as places to tie a rope to allow for easier carrying.

I immediately appreciated this piece. It is beautifully done. The carvings are intricate and give close attention to detail. The top is reminiscent of a gladiator type arena, what with the raised handles (I believe that is what they are) representing the stadium seats. I realize this may be an unusual way of looking at art, but I immediately thought of the planet Geonosis, from Star Wars. Perhaps because of the desert-like coloring. Okay, my nerdy side is coming out so I'll stop there.

I LOVE this piece! I cannot say exactly why, but as soon as I saw it I loved every aspect of it. The blue adds a brilliant splash of color. The unique pattern in the face gives the appearance of real skin. The eyes are serious and wise, with a hint of...sadness, perhaps. The lips are wonderfully sculpted; they look so real! The whole work rather reminds me of an African prince of epochs past. 

It was a little harder to come up with a second figure, but I finally decided on 'Deafening'. The realistic bone structure just astounds me in this piece. It is so life-like that it nearly looks as though it is a photograph. The little details are what makes this man seem real. The age spots, veins, and missing teeth add so much. The wrinkles of laughter, the carefully-wrought creases around the eyebrows and mouth, are superb in the highest degree. He is delighted in every sense of the word.

Looking forward to learning more!

~ Ariella Hillger

Blog #1

From the Jomon and Haniwa blog, the first historical figure that I liked is the Jomon tall form. It really caught my attention the intricate details surrounding the ceramic. The texture created by the intricate details was visually appealing. The texture looked very real like I could touch it and feel it as well.

The second historical figure that I liked is the Haniwa House 2. The overall size of the figure is incredible and just amazes me, the sheer size of it. Something else that stood out and amazed me as well was how symmetrical and balanced the figure was – the left side mirrored the right side.

From the Jacob Foran website, the first contemporary figure that I liked is the Monochroma F2

Ceramic. It was unconventional and not like the others – the head is not in an upright position and the eyes closed, so it stood out to me. I thought the laid back position of the head, eyes closed, rested mouth, the smoothness of the texture and black color, brought a serene quality and refined look it.

The second contemporary figure that I liked is the Deafening Ceramic. At first, I didn’t like it because the first thing that I noticed was the missing teeth in the mouth and for some reason that bugged me. But after carefully looking at it some more, I began to appreciate it. What I appreciated about it was that it was one of the more natural and realistic figures on the website – the facial expression with the eyes closed, and mouth opened in a laughing manner. Also, the creases around the eyes, mouth, and around the shoulders to display the bones and veins as a result of the laughing facial expression, added to the realistic look of it. In addition, the color used for the skin, is natural, it is what the color of skin is for most people. 

Hello Everyone!

My name is So Phourng (pronounced So Poon) Chen. I'm looking forward to taking this class. I took an art class in high school, where we spent a little time on ceramics. I wasn't very good at it. Hopefully over the course of the class, I can become better at it.

Blog Post #1, Beth Martinen

Thaddeus Erdahl, on Jacob Foran’s website is such a neat figure.  I enjoyed seeing the entire range of sculptures on this sight.  This particular piece I enjoyed how the features such as the lips and eyes are colored and the hair is darkened, making them jump of the page towards you.  This piece reminds me of the “Joker.” I like how the artist sculpted the face and how realistic the piece looks.  I like how the sculptor infused  “rawness” at the base of the neck and chest area and how it forms up to face.  Great dimension is in this piece.

”MonochormaF2, ” is a figure. I love how the entire sculpture melts into itself and the choice of color for the entire piece creates a very strong masculine nature.  This is a very different piece compared to the other ones on the site.  I love how different it is from any other that I have ever seen.

 This Jomon tall form is very cool. I love the texture of this historic ceramic. I found this to be the most visually pleasing to me. I like how the top flares out and the detail the top has. From the picture you can see the great detail this piece has and I think of the great patience one must had to have to create this!

This Jomon piece stood out to me, because it looked very different from the rest. This was simplest in intricate detail but that is why I chose it.  Sometimes the simplest things are the best things.  I like the pattern that is on this piece as well as the tiny “handles,” is what I would call them they give visual aid to the piece.

Overall, I am very excited for this course! Hopefully we all can learn, practice and appreciate the wonderful skills we are going to be taught! 

Sarah H. #1

I picked this piece because I love the detailing. The effect reminds me of tweed or herringbone. The amount of time it took to create that design is impressive and the overall aesthetic appeals to me. I'm also interested in the four holes on the top. It seems like at one time there may have been rope or something through there. I wonder if it had any practical purpose at all or is simply part of the design?

I loved these towers, though I have no idea at all what they are meant to be or represent. I can't help imagine how lovely they would be as pots for plants (I adore plants). I also enjoy how some of them seem a bit off-cilter, and they aren't perfectly circular. Again, the holes...

 I particularly liked the coloring effects on this head. The lips look painted while the chest and parts of the forehead look almost bleached (though I'm not sure what technique was used). I get the impression that he's melting. I would assume this is a representation of a clown, which is interesting considering his expression and upturned eye. It doesn't really portray basic sadness, which I like, but a very complex emotion that I'm having trouble finding words for.

I liked this piece immediately, probably because I am drawn to images of people with their eyes closed. I'm not sure why exactly, maybe because it seems like there is a focus on what is happening internally rather than the observation of something external to the person. The colors of this are also very expressive, how they are used to emphasize shadows of the face. The darkening above and around the eye gives me a feeling of importance or seriousness. Again, I'm not sure why.

BLOG POST 1 : Get Your Head Together

 

 

Hello!

It is amazing how the people of the ancient and modern worlds have utilized ceramics to tell stories, pass along important information, and to decorate spaces with intent. In both time periods, artists have had a strong attention to detail and contribute to the visual market by creating unique pieces. 

On the blog inspired by Jomon and Haniwa, I chose to represent Haniwa's House and a vase by Jomon for my first blog post. I know from art history that people tend to create work based on things that are considered most important to them. Haniwa must have desired for the home to be recorded in time. Rather than the appearance of the clay home, I am more interested in the intent behind this artifact being made. Jomon's vase was chosen for the opposite reason. The intricate detail of the scrolls and notches were visually pleasing to me and therefore interested me the most.

I was struck immediately by the originality and variety of faces on Jacob Foran's website. The first bust that particularly caught my attention was the unusual portrait created by Tip Toland (Deafening). I did a double take while scrolling through the images because of the drama it emanated. The level of detail and realism is stunning. I can tell that Toland studied the subtleties in skin movement, hugging the man's bones as it would in real life. I am also intrigued by the moment that the artist chose to create; the man being in the middle of a (nearly) toothless laugh. Capturing an expression such as this makes the overall piece dynamic and the use of color is expertly used. Almost opposite in style yet equal in technique and skill, Tanya Batura's "Monochroma F2," presented me with another good portrait to discuss. I love the way the work melts into itself. The word "organic" comes to mind when looking at the smooth lines of the human figure. I appreciate the monotone color and thoughtful expression and love the look of each body part (lips, nose, eyes, etc...).       

I am excited to be taking this class before I graduate! I think it will be a fun learning experience and maybe I will find a new hobby. Who knows?

Megan Woodruff

As an amusing side note, this bust reminds me a bit of Gollum laughing from Lord of the Rings.

 

 

Hey all,

I am rather looking forward to learning about ceramics, and more about art in general. I don't have any background in sculpting (unless one counts playing with clay at a young age) or pottery throwing, so I am excited to learn. I signed up for this class because it sounded like fun and a valuable life experience.

~ Ariella Hillger

I am so excited to finally be taking this class! I've wanted to since I was a freshman, but never had room in my schedule. My sister took a ceramics course over at PLU last semester and I was incredibly jealous. I can't wait to learn some new art skills and have fun! My ultimate goal at the moment is to craft myself a ceramic french press carafe. Challenging, I know, but I shall try!

- Sarah Havens

Hey everyone! My name is Beth Martinen, this is my first experience in Ceramics of any kind.  I thought this would be a wonderful class that can give me a skill that I can use for the rest of my life! I am going to post my pictures later this week/weekend but hopefully we all can find very interesting pieces to display on the blog.

My name is Kori Lumpkin, and I am excited to take this class. I haven't worked with ceramics much in the past and am looking forward to this quarter. I will be submitting my blog post for this week a little later.

Musée du Louvre