Ceramics2017

"Assassination of a Famous Nut Artist" done by Robert Arnerson is one of his best known self portraits, depicting a far from heroic subject on a traditionally portrait bust. His works mocked himself and portrays the psychological pain using physical objects one see from comics and cartoons. This work of art is rich in colors but hideous in descriptive details hence making it stand out.

Al Weiwei is a Chinese-American contemporary artist and activist who is often vocal in support of Asian-Americans in the art scene.  His collaborates with a number of artists and also works on various projects across different fields.  Many of his ceramic pieces like the one above, evoke a sense of nature and the world we experience every day.  The piece above reminds me of the ocean on the Jersey shore and all of the feelings that accompany those trips, as the waves are remarkably accurate. 

Out of all his pieces I loved this one the most. Reading more into depth he made this a conflict between the progression of the modern and the preservation of traditional. He took a modern day logo and put it on a piece of history that could be priceless. But it shows that people hold onto valuables too much and art should always be constantly evolving and growing. I thought it was absurdly brilliant for him to have the money to buy something like this and have the strength to do this. 

This image has a lot of meaning behind it it talks about what happens after the natural disaster that happen in Sichuan this disaster happened in 2008. I like this image because it is like a piece of something so sad and how much in affected this society. Many lives were taken from this disaster, and it shows the condolences. I also feel like they took something so sad and turned it into something creative.

The image above illustrates the work of Ai Weiwei. After the Sichuan earthquake hit China in 2008, Weiwei had recovered rebar from a school, straightened it, and formed it into the sculpture above. This installation is entitled "straight", and it is a somber reminder of all of the lives lost in the school during the earthquake. A Chinese activist, Ai Weiwei sought to uncover the facts behind this tragedy that were being hidden by the corrupt Chinese government. This project is a tribute to the numerous lives lost, ensuring that they would never be forgotten.

Al Wei Wei is a a Chinese artist most famous for his contemporary work. He takes old pots and is able to refurbish them into more modern pieces of ceramics. His work is displayed in an art gallery with a picture of himself dropping his own ceramic pot. I find his pieces very interesting because they put a modern twist on an older piece of art.

I liked this piece, i like how the chair all spiral.

" Weiwei assumes a unique and distinctive style that often involves recycling of ancient and historical materials and modern aesthetics loaded with deep meaning in his works of savage." I really like this piece of ceramic because it is so simple on the outside but intricate and meaningful on the inside. I also love the pop of blue compared to the white sleek outside. I wonder how he was able to create this design on the inside as I am sure it took a lot of time. 

I thought this piece by Ai Weiwei was very nicely made.  I like how the piece represents a wave.  In addition the color and glazing of the piece are nicely done.  This piece of ceramics is a more modern decorative piece.

I picked this work by Ai Weiwei because its really different than what I've seen. I love how the bikes are stacked up on eachother. It's just really interesting to look at. 

I find these two pots to be very pleasing to look at.  I like how the colors inversely compliment each other.  The blue pot on the left was covered in white while right side up while the white pot on the right was turned upside down and covered in dark blue/purple.  I love Ai Weiwei's artwork; it is very interesting to me how he came up with the idea to take these old pieces of art and make them his own.  The leap of faith that he took creating his first piece of art must have taken much courage.

The first picture above is that of Alan Kurdi, a Syrian toddler who drowned in the Mediterranean Sea when his family was trying to reach Europe. Ai Weiwei, a contemporary artist from China known for his political activism, restaged that photo to draw attention to the  plight of the Syrian migrants. He stated, "Refugee issue is not a local or regional issue. It’s a human rights issue, it’s about fundamental values which touch everybody . . . Refugee is not someone who’s not fortunate. If someone is unfortunate that means we are all unfortunate. We have to always think as one.” The picture above created by Ai Weiwei is a reminder of this sad event and the larger refugee crisis.

This piece of artwork by Ai Weiwei is called Grapes and was made in 2014. It is made with a total of 32 wooden stool from the Qing Dynasty. These stools can be found in almost every countryside home in rural China, and they are often passed down from generation to generation. Weiwei compared how these chairs are all knitted together to how he was knitted to everyone through the Web when he was under house arrest. I think it is interesting how all of the stools are resting on just one of the stools at the bottom; it is the major support piece of this project.

This is a ceramic porcelain piece created by Ai Weiwei called "Owl House." I chose this piece because it showed a similar design to some of his other pieces but is unique on its own. Instead of creating a typical bird house out of wood, Ai Weiwei created a porcelain owl house to showcase his creativity. This piece is very elegant and diverse. It is held at Haines Gallery in San Francisco.

Ai Weiwei is a Chinese artist, curator, architectural designer and an activist. He was the artistic consultant on the Beijing National Stadium for the 2008 Olympics. He collaborated with Swiss architects Herog and de Meuron. A good portion of Ai Weiwei's art work is from past decades. He transforms historical pieces into something new. I chose this pottery from him because I find it fascinating that all the design is in the inside of the vases. The outside it just a simple modern white which makes this artwork suitable for any environment. They can be classy or formal it all depends how you personally view them. Like I mentioned the inside is designed and if you zoom in you can see it is very detailed. In one there are two men fighting while in the other there is an older man being pulled by an animal. I love how the artworks story is on the inside of the vases. 

I really enjoyed these pieces. I think it takes a modern take on an ancient technique. He used indigo which are colors that are originally used in Chinese ceramics. He also incorporated classic Chinese designs. The pieces are shaped like soda cans. I think it is an interesting statement. Like how people used to eat out of nice china, but now people just drink out of cans.

This Ai Wei Wei piece is very unique because it was made from around 2000 layers of fabric. I love this beautiful world we love in. It is so cool how you see Ai Weiwei stand in the middle of his piece to see exactly how large it is. The detail is extraordinary in the outline of each continent. I this this is such a work of art that anyone on Earth would be proud to see. 

Ai Weiwei: "I think artist and activist is the same thing. As artist, you always have to be an activist." 60 Minutes interviewed Ai Weiwei, china's most famous policical dissident; a troublemaker who clashes with Chinese government which has gotten him harassed by police thrown in jail, and driven out of the whole county overall. But the interesting part is when you realize that he is one of the most successful contemporary artists in the world. He's used his art as a weapon to ridicule the authorities. Ai Weiwei used his influence as a weapon. after the earthquake disaster, the government attempted to cover up the amount of children killed, Ai Weiwei led a "citizen's investigation" to uncover some 5,000 children killed. the government was so displeased with this that in 2011 when he was attempting to board a plane, his head was covered and he was taken into solitary confinement for 81 days. he was told not to speak when released but he couldn'

Although perceived controversial, I think Ai Wei Wei's work is inspiring.  I believe this pot created by Ai Wei Wei was done using the wheel method.  I like the intrinsic designed and simplicity of the colors used.  However, I am curious as to why the design is painted on the inside instead of the outside for individuals to see but one could assume that art is interpreted by each individual in different ways.

This piece was created by Ai Weiwei, a Chinese conceptual artist. When I look at this, all I can think about is summertime at the beach. These waves look like the ocean washing up on the shore. I am not sure what technique he used to create this piece but it seems delicate and most definitely required a lot of time and patience. The only thing I would like to change about this piece of artwork is the color. I think it would look a lot nicer if it was an ocean blue, considering he named the piece The Wave.

Straight (2008-12) This artwork is a representation of an earthquake and of its effects. It is a statement about the governmental corruption and negligence that took place during this catastrophe. The province of Sichuan suffered massive casualties including thousands who were left dead and missing. Many of the victims were children whose poorly constructed school had collapsed on top of them. Ai, was outraged to discover that this could have been avoided. This art piece serves as both a memorial and a call to action to hold the Chinese government accountable and urge it to take preventative steps to avoid future disaster. This artwork took four years to complete as it is almost 40 feet long and 20 feet wide - weighing 200 tons. Bent and broken steel reinforcement bars were used and were part of the remnants of the collapsed schools. These bars were reformed to look as they would have before the earthquake.  "The bars in waves resemble the oscillations in an earthq

One thing that caught my eye was the detailed art Ai wei wei made. These porcelain bowls done by the famous Ai wei wei depicted wars, ruins, refugee camps and demonstrations. Not only am I fascinated by Chinese porcelain but the story behind such art. You can definitely tell that this artist took time and dedication on creating this beautiful art piece.

Chinese artist Ai Weiwei appropriates past art or everyday items to have a modern twist.  In his art pictured above, Ai weiwei seems to have taking pipes and given them a modern more beautiful twist on them.  I like this because there is such fine and intriciate detail on the pipes which truly make them look like a work of art, which is not what you would expect to call pipes.

I came across these beautiful pieces by Ai Weiwei. I found the smooth look to be very satisfying and the white glaze gives it a sophisticated look. I really enjoy the artwork made on the inside of the bowls. I thought it was different and clearly something that took intricate brush work. 

I like this homemade pot because its so simple yet classy, it is very detailed. I seems to have a soft texture just by the looks of it. what stands out to me the most is the bird t top because it looks like the bird is trying to escape and fly away. I also like how the flower pedals pop out from the actual pot itself, even though the center is not. (sorry this is a late blog I am not sure if you will still accept it)

 I like this homemade pot because not only is it useful but it represents the artist and their own identity.  Though simple, the texture is unique and the ridges give the pot definition. This simplistic design cannot be recreated like a factory pot. This can be used for many things such as holding foods during a meal, cooking, or even being put on display.

After reading the article by Shannon Garson, I discovered the image of this ceramic bowl. I believe this piece reflects many of the qualities of ceramic tableware that Garson stressed in her article. A factory tableware bowl would be equivalent in function to the piece above, but in my opinion the ceramic shown contains an authenticity of human craft that is not apparent in factory dishware. In particular, I find the unique hand crafted texture to add an aesthetic, but also authentic vibe to functionality that factory dishware doesn't seem to have.

The article by Shannon Garson regarding the value of handmade functional tableware was a very interesting read. I completely understood where she was coming from, and found value in her reasons behind why handmade tableware should be used. I was very intrigued by the overall spiritual tone of her writing. She seemed to really incorporate the tangible human experience of life in with a very ethereal view of living. The piece above really illustrated to me what she was talking about. The irregularity, the color, the depth, and the simplicity all revealed to me what Shannon Garson wrote about. Using this tableware to eat would indeed connect the user to the artist, and Shannon spoke about in her article.

I love these tableware pieces because they have a modern and sleek look to them. I enjoy very simple tableware that have nuetral colors.  I agree with the article that we have lost touch with how important tableware is in our life. They are used everyday in our life, and hold a vast majority of food that can travel from friend to friend. When you create handmade tableware you can bring up ideas of process, the role of the artist, and how it is transformed by your unique creativity. Nothing is better than making a piece that you are proud about and can be utilized for day to day life. Majority of people in the world spend majority of their life in the kitchen because food is one of the greatest necessities in life. So what is better than enjoying something you love in a function piece of art that you've created. It gives you a sense of joy!

I liked this image because the article was about home cooking and hand made tableware, i thought these were good example of what a hand made tableware can come out as. i also liked it because it might of taken time and dedication to get an exact measurement for each cup considering they are measuring cups.

The  "Home Cooking - A Case for Handmade Tableware" by Shannon Garson introduces different ways to present handmade tableware. Garsen basically said that each handmade pot or creation tells a story just like a writer does when writing a story. The pots or other creations that are made tell us the beauty that the potter wants to tell us and what they like. I chose this handmade tableware because of how elegant it looks and especially of how much texture is shown. I love the details on the plates too. they remind me of the stitching in doyle's. 

I really like these handmade ceramic bowl and plate pieces because of the way they look. I think its cool how they are not perfect ceramic pieces. It gives it a sense of authenticity to have the edges look a little messy and folded in. It makes the bowl and plates look unique and it gives them character. I also like the blue and brown colors of these pieces and I like the changing colors at the bottom of the top bowl because it reminds me of a painting.

"The privilege of using handmade pots is that they contain the idea of human endeavor, a link with other people not with factories or corporations." This article speaks to ceramic ware in the household, I really like the idea of this. What I like most is you can incorporate things into your home no one else would have. Unique pieces like ceramic would also add a nice touch decor wise. I chose this picture of this coffee mug because I like it and think it is very unique. 

In the article "Home Cooking - A Case for Handmade Tableware" by Shannon Garson, the author explains the personal value and meaning that handmade ceramics tableware has over factory made tableware. The connection and imperfections that comes from making and using handmade tableware is what makes handmade tableware that much more special than factory made tableware. I chose the handmade plates above due to the obvious imperfections around the edges that you would not find on factory made plates. I believe that imperfect edges help make a person appreciate that these plates were made by hand rather than in a factory. I also find the pattern inside of the top bowl to be interesting.

Shannon Garson's article titled "Home Cooking- A Case for Handmade Tableware," discussed how our capitalist country has driven pottery to become industrialized and is being created in factories rather than by hand like it has always been made throughout history. "The privilege of using handmade pots is that they contain the idea of human endeavor, a link with other people not with factories and corporations," states Garson. She brought up a brilliant point. It is important that we keep the culture of hand-made pottery making alive. I chose this image of these three spoons because it is evident they were made by hand considering their differences in size and shape. I think they are look delicate and simple. I also love the colors and design of each.

I love this set of handmade plates. I love the imperfectness of the shape and how they look handmade. This set also feels very rustic. The blue and brown coloring to them adds a earthy tone to them as the white plate balances it off. I would love to have this set in my house to eat off of for special occasions. I could even see this as an outdoor wedding set if it matched the theme. These plates are very much my taste and something I would pay a lot of money for.

The article "Home Cooking - A Case for Handmade Tableware" by Shannon Garson poses many interesting views and opinions on handmade tableware.  Garson suggests that "if we were to 'read' a handmade domestic pot as scholars read texts we would find that this useful object symbolizes much more than its function might suggest."  This was very interesting to me because it is true that each potter, coming from a different background and being totally and completely unique, might work to craft a pot or plate or cup for the same function in a completely different manner than someone of equal skill set.  For this reason, each handmade object tells its own story as the potter created the object to encompass his or her idea of beauty. I chose to use the above picture of handmade plates because, in my opinion, it is their imperfection and uniqueness which makes them a beautiful, complimentary set.

This article talked about how factory made tableware is replacing handmade tableware.  Unlike factory made pieces, handmade tableware has an aesthetic that is more meaningful.  Homemade tableware can connect the user to the artist.  I thought this article was interesting because homemade table is being seen less and less.  I found this set of tableware and liked the colors and glazing done.  This set has great uniformity between the colors used and the shapes of each piece.

Handmade pottery, unlike paintings and sculptures, has always been attainable to people regardless of their social class.In the article, Shannon Garson explained the importance of valuing hand-made pottery. Pottery ware has been influenced by the "fast-food" era we live in today. Americans want things done quick and productively; that is where the art of ceramics may suffer. Factory made ware steals the authenticity and creativity from ceramic pieces. Hand-made pottery has a much greater significance for not only the artist but the user. Appreciating the time and skills it takes to create a ceramic piece by hand is something ceramic users should not neglect. I chose the picture above because it is a great example of the uniqueness of hand-made table ware. Each piece is glazed and rusted over different than the rest.

Since it is October, I wanted to pick a piece that was seasonal.  Here we have pumpkin coffee mug, this piece really stood out to me.  I really enjoy the glaze on this piece, it makes the pumpkin glisten in this photograph.  I love that the artist made a simple everyday product into a seasonal piece.

This article reminds us to appreciate the piece of art that people take the time to make by hand, and how they are not made in factories. The article suggests that by buying factory made pots, we in a way loose touch with ourselves. Pottery has gone from being needed just for the necessities of life, to being made on artists free time just for the sake of enjoyment. I selected the image above to show the variety of styles of handmade tableware that many of us may use on a daily basis. I like how sleek and simple the objects are, and it shows how the artists really took their time and put effort into making these pieces.

This article was very interesting to me, next time you go on vacation and take a walk into the gift shop, take a look at all the "fast food" ceramic coffee mugs that have a label of the destination on them are on the shelves. Can the traditional ceramic artist keep up with this frenzy on the market? I don't imagine that someone with a handmade wood fired kiln can keep up with a massive factory overseas. But it really is interesting to wonder how they are doing when it comes to keeping a corner on the market. The price difference is astounding when you can buy the cheap coffee mug set from a box store, or go to a place where you can get a handmade one. In other news I picked this Mug because one of the first things I want for my own house is a nice ceramic coffee mug set. This is one of a set, and it is awesome.

I personally believe all types of ceramics are beautiful components in people's homes.  They provide our home with an esthetic feel and almost all serve a purpose whether it may be a flower pot, tea cup or plate for everyday usage.  This particular piece of ceramic, I find to be extremely appealing to the eye.  It appears to have a modern twist that I like.  If I were to particularly find a place for this in my home, I would use it as some sort of candle/light holder like the photo displays.

I love this decorative bowl. It clearly is in the shape of the leaf which is what attracted me to it. I'm a big fan of earth tones and anything nature related. Much like my last ceramic blog this piece is only glazed on the inside and not the outside. The glazing on the inside I find very different and pretty. Its a light sea-foam green which is very nature like. Once again this piece is very simple which is another reason I was drawn to it.  It is simple, decorative and cute in my opinion. 

A case for Handmade Tableware was written to remind us that potters take their time and talent on making new and useful discoveries in art. We often forget that handmade pots and bowls holds the "idea of beauty".  Here, we see a talented designer who is takes paper origami to another level. Unlike factories, this potter took time on translating an everyday object into a surreal and unique artifact.

I really enjoyed this piece of work. The artist has many more variations of this technique. This one stood out to me because it looks like a heart. The pipes sticking out of it reminds me of underwater coral. I liked the colors used. It looks antiqued and aged.

I found the piece above particularly interesting as it evokes a sense of the sea and the natural beauty within.  It utilizes the imagination of the artist and the reality of the creature to create a ceramic piece of art that is both unique and appealing to the observer.  I believe this is the case because we often see images of the octopus online or in books, but rarely in person; therefore, they often appear as odd and sometimes alien creatures.   Therefore, the observer is seeing something that is both real and in a sense fantasy. 

"Home Cooking - A Case for Handmade Tableware" written by Shannon Garson, addresses the modernized attempt at handmade art and how it has lost it's essence over the past several decades in the pursuit of instant-gratification.  She makes the case, utilizing a number of different examples, that our society currently prefers the instant gratification that such things as fast food and plastic tableware provide over handmade art projects that can be used in daily life.  To further support her argument, Garson states that handmade tableware transcends art in a way as it is used and often appreciated in every day life.  However, more and more families are seeking the services of organizations such as Ikea, so handmade art is losing its value.  I provided the image of handmade tableware above in order to support Garson's case, as the art creates a setting for those who view it.  It's not only an accessible piece of hardware to use, but a piece of art that took time to

The article states how people in the 21st century often forget to appreciate hand-crafted homeware. Factory made pots are beautiful, but do not fulfill the same aspect as a handmade piece. Hand-crafted pottery creates a connection between inanimate objects and the spirit of the artist, which then further connects to the user. I came across these ceramic bowls and thought that this would be something I'd have in my house. I really enjoy the color gradients and the texture.