Research for Totemic Project- Brian Kooser

Totemic Project

I have been working on breaking out of a sometimes tedious way of designing imagery. This Totemic project may be a good opportunity to find new ways of working. Research was challenging as I searched for works that touched on some of my ideas. I found these totems from Oceana to have a fullness and solidity that could be drawn from.

An early 20th Century  European Totemic Stone Sculpture, found while researching in the library, brought a more figural feel to this fullness while retaining some of the rigidity.

 While in the library I also came across this totemic piece by metal sculptor David Smith. The figural element upon a plinth was similar to the above in that the plinth itself appeared to be figural while also being architectural. This allowed the separation of the figure from a gallery setting and creating a transition into the reality of the sculpture. This would be a good device for the work I intended.

This Nikondi Totemic Fetish had so much emotional impact that I wanted to borrow some of the elements that made it so viscerally powerful. Developing what the introduced elements might be that would lend power to the figure I intend will be a challenge I look forward to meeting.

Other Totemic Pieces I found will lend ideas, textures or structure to the work.

Whiskey Bottle Set (assgmnt 2)

Title: Highest Shoulder

Artist: Michael Moore

Date: 2007 | 2004

Title: Sentinel

Artist: Michael Moore

Date: 2007

Technique: Slab-built

(Liked the idea of using the slab built technique for building the vessel for whiskey bottle set.)

Title: Nusake Set

Series Title: Sake

Artist: Stephen Mickey

Date: 2012

Title: Sake Carafe & Five Cups

Artist: Hayne Bayless

Date: 1998

Technique: handbuilt

(http://www.etsy.com/listing/120138180/beer-growler?utm_source=googleproduct&utm_medium=syndication&utm_campaign=GPS&gclid=CIbI8rCqrLUCFcODQgodojkAVg)

(http://www.bottless.net/v/vspfiles/photos/categories/608.jpg)

(http://www.details.com/blogs/daily-details/beergrowler_blogpost.jpg)

(Possibly make my own swing top lids??)  (Or just use customized cork as a lid)

Of the 3 vessels i will make, 1 will be a sake set (with 4 drinking cups) 1 will be a whiskey bottle set (with 4 drinking shot glasses) and the last will be a Beer growler (with 4 drinking schooners)

465

ART 465

                                                                                                            

Jake Johnson

          I really like the fluid organic shapes of the vessels, I also like the snug/form fitting trays. These pieces kind of remind me of a pea pod, in the way that only the peas that were grown in it will fit the pod. (Hope that made sense)

                                               EVA ZEISEL   

   




           Eva's work really inspired me. I love the roundness of her shapes as well as the colors she used.                                                  

More to come.....

Photos of work in Progress...

JARS

JAKE JOHNSON is an artist I keep coming back to because I really like his trays and how they are incorporated into the jars themselves. I like the idea that only these pieces are meant for the particular tray they are on as opposed to a flat tray that could have anything placed on it. To me these trays give the jars a home rather than just a place to be.

 Shadow May’s work also fits into the trays that are meant for the purpose of holding these certain jars.

And last for my online sets I came across Caleb Zouhary whose work I think is pretty cool. I like that each piece is similar to another enough that they fit well together but are all their own pieces. I also like his use of color.

The first set I came across in the library was in a book on “Shimaoka Tatsuzo.” I went through a lot of books and found some really great pieces but I found it really hard to find sets on platters in the books, which mostly showed single jars. However I feel like these “lidded bowls with plates” could be worked into my concept for one of my sets.

In the book “Mary Rodgers on Pottery and Porcelain” I found these boxes which are a metallic black. Rodgers states that they represent tightly packed flower buds and inside there are ceramic flower sculptures. I thought these were interesting and could be good examples for the puzzle lids. I couldn’t find any information on who made them unless it was Mary Rodgers on her own work...

In the book “Richard Fairbanks, American potter” I found this jar which I really like with its sharp concise edges. I also learned that he was the ceramics professor here through the 70s and 80s.

  

I also found the book “The Potters Art in Africa,” which was really cool, I wanted to reference this piece because I like how it’s sitting and I have been looking into adding feet to my own jars/tea pots. I’m not sure if its four separate pieces or if its one.

Last I found a book on Eva Zeisel called  “Eva Zeisel designer for industry,” I really enjoy her work and liked the tray despite what I said earlier about Jake Johnsons trays I still like flat open trays.