For my focus of work this quarter I chose to research artists that created utilitarian objects that told a story. I wanted to see the narrative first before the practicality. I decided to start with Skuja Braden. This artist is really no artist at all, but a collaboration of two artists who combined their last names. Such works such as Barfly Bottles (accessCeramics, 2008) (left) show the story through surface decoration before you see the bottles. These bottles were fired in a wood kiln and incised with stains. I am interested in incorporating multiple surface treatments and firings into my utilitarian and sculptural pieces. In the piece The Strainer: Before and After (accessCeramics, 2008) (right) 
I see the shape of the vessel’s neck before I see that it’s a vessel. It reminds me of a giant stomach. I like that the artists play with the shape of the piece while in conjunction with the surface treatment. I feel that the stories of the images presented are further enhanced by the form of the object. The impact of the high fired incised glaze on Strainer would be lost if the vessel was straight up and down. The last piece I looked at was The Gift (accessCeramics, 2008) (below). This hand built piece embodies some powerful views on marriage since it is from the series Dowry: The 
Business of Marriage. By enlarging the typical objects such as the egg and the cuff, you get a sense of importance from the arrangement. I have started to use this technique in my own work by making my typical pieces larger than I planned. The surface treatments on The Gift are glazes, overglazes, and luster. In layering these different techniques you see depth and realism in the pieces. The piece doesn’t scream clay at the viewer. It grabs the viewer and makes them notice the chains and the cuff, the ambiguous object everything is attached to. I feel that as a sculptural artist it is important to clearly define your message in a way that the viewer sees it first and then the fact that you used ceramics as the material. Another artist I looked at was Erin Furimsky. Her work involves underglazes, luster, and china paints. In her piece Burgeon (accessCeramics, Artist: Erin Furmisky, 2006) (below) the main image was transferred over seven different wall pieces. These shapes are ambiguou
s. I have chosen this artist because I feel she does a good job of presenting her idea in a nontraditional way. By moving the images off of one giant piece, she expands the concept past one flat plane. She also incorporates multiple surface textures to give her wall pieces depth. This can be seen in her piece Pearl (accessCeramics, Artist: Erin Furimsky, 2007) (below).I have tried to use multiple firings as well as luster and surface treatments in my work. 
Furimsky shows that flat pieces can be interesting by taking the time to layer the image you are presenting.
s. I have chosen this artist because I feel she does a good job of presenting her idea in a nontraditional way. By moving the images off of one giant piece, she expands the concept past one flat plane. She also incorporates multiple surface textures to give her wall pieces depth. This can be seen in her piece Pearl (accessCeramics, Artist: Erin Furimsky, 2007) (below).I have tried to use multiple firings as well as luster and surface treatments in my work. 
Furimsky shows that flat pieces can be interesting by taking the time to layer the image you are presenting. Lastly I looked at the use of surface texture by Adrian Arleo. In my new pieces I incorporated the look of a screen by using a multiple process of punching holes. Some I would leave blank and others would pierce all the way through. By making the process less simplified it turned the screens into a focal point. I examined Arleo’s work when startin
g this process. In her piece Skep (accessCeramics, Artist: Adrian Arleo, 2008) (right) the honeycomb holes that are pressed into the clay are varying depths. Leaving certain areas quiet and less adorned give the impression that the area is closer to us and creates a second image within the sculpture. In the piece Glade (2009) (below) you can see this process more clearly because in the
areas where there are less honeycomb marks they appear fleshier. Varying the design of the honeycomb imprints also allows for another way to make an image on an otherwise unadorned surface. I like how Arleo uses only surface texture to make her pieces. There are no stains or images other then the designs in the clay. Another idea that I gleaned from Arleo’s work was taking t
he texture of the piece you want to use and transferring that texture to an entirely different object. This can be seen in Daydream (2007) (right)where Arleo took the bust of a woman and made it look like a tree trunk. I tried to do this in my pieces by taking the shape and skin texture of bodies and mimicking that texture on a geometric vase or cubes. I like this concept because it morphs two different ideas and creates a whole new canvas on which to display it. So instead of making the woman next to a tree, the tree was formed into a shape of a woman. I know other artists do this but I like how Arleo uses textures that are uncommon in the shapes she chooses. Human v. Nature and I chose human v. technology.
g this process. In her piece Skep (accessCeramics, Artist: Adrian Arleo, 2008) (right) the honeycomb holes that are pressed into the clay are varying depths. Leaving certain areas quiet and less adorned give the impression that the area is closer to us and creates a second image within the sculpture. In the piece Glade (2009) (below) you can see this process more clearly because in the
areas where there are less honeycomb marks they appear fleshier. Varying the design of the honeycomb imprints also allows for another way to make an image on an otherwise unadorned surface. I like how Arleo uses only surface texture to make her pieces. There are no stains or images other then the designs in the clay. Another idea that I gleaned from Arleo’s work was taking t
he texture of the piece you want to use and transferring that texture to an entirely different object. This can be seen in Daydream (2007) (right)where Arleo took the bust of a woman and made it look like a tree trunk. I tried to do this in my pieces by taking the shape and skin texture of bodies and mimicking that texture on a geometric vase or cubes. I like this concept because it morphs two different ideas and creates a whole new canvas on which to display it. So instead of making the woman next to a tree, the tree was formed into a shape of a woman. I know other artists do this but I like how Arleo uses textures that are uncommon in the shapes she chooses. Human v. Nature and I chose human v. technology.Works Cited
accessCeramics. (2008). Artist: Adrian Arleo. Retrieved December 26, 2011, from accessCeramics: A Contemporary Ceramics Image Resource: http://accessceramics.org/results/artist/221/
accessCeramics. (2008). Artist: Adrian Arleo. Retrieved December 26, 2011, from accessCeramics: A Contemporary Ceramics Image Resource: http://accessceramics.org/results/artist/221/
accessCeramics. (2006). Artist: Erin Furmisky. Retrieved November 26, 2011, from accessCeramics: A Contemporary Ceramics Image Resource: http://accessceramics.org/results/artist/175/
accessCeramics. (2008). Artist: Skuja Braden. Retrieved November 26, 2011, from accessCeramics: A Contempory Ceramics Image Resource: http://accessceramics.org/results/artist/153/
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