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The Values Vessel: An Introduction to Ceramics(See Student Examples)

Learning Standards For the Arts Related Learning Experience
Art Education

Commencement General Education, grade 9-12-Mixed Ability Levels.

See also recently posted New York State Education Department Arts Resource Guide.

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Under Construction 6/25/97.

A Secondary Level, Art room studio project,
involving two classes, 50 students.

Robert vonHunke, Art Teacher
Fayetteville Manlius High School
Manlius, New York 13104

alt="[student ceramic form.]">

sample project illustrating theme by a 9th grade Studio in Art Foundation student. Arts Standard 1: Creating and Performing.

Students create a ceramic form, by coil, pinch, slab building or wheel throwing using earthenware clay. A theme of the project encourages students to reflect a personally held value which will be visually represented somewhere in the clay form.

Arts Standard 2: Knowing and Using Materials and Resources. Students use a variety of print reference material, videotapes, and the internet for examples.

(a). Students plan their ceramics project based in part on information from library, museum, and internet resource material. The search for information focuses attention on social, and cultural expression of values symbolized in ceramic vessel forms. The search for information also addresses technical concerns - how to translate the idea into a clay form.
The values vessel project usually follows the netsuke project, which served as a bridge from drawing to the 3D processes of sculpture and ceramics.

Arts Standard 3: Responding and Analyzing Works of Art. Artists often create works of art intent on injecting in them specific meaning. Sometimes this meaning is expressed through the use of symbolism. The oldest class of art objects in existence is a group of sculptured figures called Venuses. One of these is the Venus of Willendorf. These figures emphasized the importance of fertility as a guarantee of survival for the group, through belief in the powers of these figures. With the evolution of religion and formal education civilization grew away from most of its fetishes. Though not strictly a symbol, the use of fetishes sought to explain forces in life. These forces that could not be explained took the form of powerful figures.

Students critique use of symbols to express values in ceramics after reading about and discussing artists interpretations found in reference books and the internet.

Arts Standard 4: Understanding Cultural Dimensions and Contributions of the Arts. This example is from the Everson Museum of Art ceramics collection.

Students analyze art forms by different artists from art history, and communicate their perceptions of what the works convey. Examples: Hex signs, painted on the sides of Pennsylvania Dutch farm barns, were once regarded as having supernatural powers capable of attracting rain, warding off lighting, making land fertile, or insuring sunshine. Signet rings were once used as a means of authenticating information when used to seal documents.

Students begin with a discussion of the two differences in symbolism that students tend to express in their work:

(a) In the first symbols are substitutions for realism used to represent familiar things. These symbols are used instead of attempting to draw the objects as they actually appear. These symbols are learned from books, other students drawings, and their own interpretations based on the values culture has placed on drawing. Without reasons to look closely and draw what is observed, the work contains learned stereotypes.

(b) A second use of symbols makes things MORE real by investing those objects with meanings that express the invisible and intangible, or that examine values in a society. The structure of these beliefs and values are made visible through the art object produced by the student. These objects serve to focus attention on the things in life believed in and are represented symbolically through art.

Art is used to make symbols of things appear more real. The design communicates the nature of the idea, as in the Paleolithic cave paintings of Vallon-Pont-d'Arc (Ardeche). . The bison from a cave in Ardeche, or Lasceaux in southwestern France creates a visual symbol of success in the hunt. A wishful design forged by hard experience that may be essential to the group's belief in themselves and power over the quarry of the hunt.

The Teacher facilitates this discussion and introduce and define new vocabulary, including Vessel, fetish, venus, and provide visuals that place this vocabulary in the context of the culture and art making process.

The project introduces ceramics through an examination of the use of symbolism. which by expressing the original idea symbolically, the idea becomes more tangible. As they observe it, the symbol and idea become inseperatable.

Some modifications are necessary, to adapt this experience to other levels.

(a). Reference material.

(b). Art supplies and clay working tools.

(A). Formative Assessment
Students and the teacher engage in performance assessment at different stages throughout the duration of the project.

1. 1. discussion of constraints:
   alt="[views of the Everson Museum ceramics example]">

   
   

2. 1. discussion of constraints:
   (a). form must reflect function.
   (b). all surfaces must be given attention to detail-surface imagery communicating what is valued.
   (c). the scale of the form is limited to a small ware board on which each studentworks.
   
3. 2. Observing approach to work:
   (a). exercising care with tools for shaping, building the form.
   (b). cleaning up and maintaining organized work space.
   (c). planning and visualizing the form by sketching each plane on the surface of the material.
   
4. 3. Observing forming process as it is reflected in the work.
   (a). initial planning sketch transferred to slab/coil building process.
   (b). working from a rough construction to detailed finished surfaces.
   (c). pacing the work, making slow but steady progress which requires patience.
   
5. 4. Maintaining a consciousness of craft.
   (a). taking pride in work with teacher support and encouragement.
   (b). care of tools.
   (c). preparing finished work for exhibit.
6. 5. Documentation.
   (a). photographing or computer digitizing students work (preferably by student).
   (b). using computer to assemble research and process notes, along with image. Students used SimpleText on a Macintosh to enter data. Teacher (or student webmaster) added html tags for our web page.
   

(B). Summative Evaluation:
Students complete a self and peer evaluation checklist using a scale of 1-4 covering various criteria including:
(a). Historical Reference and Knowledge (b).Expression of Originality (c).A Consciousness of Craft (d).Overall Effect

Examples of student work are displayed in school, the community, and here on our web page.

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