Thursday, September 16, 2010

Pottery or Ceramics ?

Over the last few weeks I had occasion to introduce myself in several instances. When folks asked what I did, I said I'm a ceramic artist. More than once folks said, "Oh do you pour slip", "How many molds do you have", "Do you paint the pots", "Do you have your own kiln".

I explained I have my own kiln but don't use slip or molds and don't paint my work but glaze the pieces. I said I design my own work and hand build the pieces. I passed out my card and mentioned my blog. Several people inquired about taking a class so I'll be organizing handbuilding classes in late October.

But this got me to thinking about terminology. Does ceramics mean slipware poured into molds and pottery mean thrown pottery to most people? What is slab built work called? Florida seems to have so many people who pour slip in molds to make pots. Perhaps this is due to the large amount of tourists in Florida. I've never come across so many people who pour slip, make molds, or who've previously had a mold making company.

So I ask you, what do you think is the correct terminology to use when describing hand built work. If I say I'm a ceramic artist will folks think I pour slip into molds? If I say I'm a potter, will folks assume I throw pots? What do you think? Pottery or ceramics or ... ? Your thoughts please.

17 comments:

  1. I usually say that I am a clay artist because I don't really feel like a "potter" and I don't really like the term ceramics.

    ReplyDelete
  2. i have encountered lots of people who hear the word ceramics and immediately think that you are painting slip cast christmas trees etc. i think i usually use the term potter or clay artist when describing myself... but if someone wants to call me a ceramic artist i am ok with it...

    ReplyDelete
  3. I usually say 'I work in clay' or that I'm a potter. I rarely call myself an artist - just always feel that's too pretentious & up to some one besides me to decide if what I do is art - lol.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I call myself a Ceramist or Potter. Not a Ceramicist which means Potterer! Just a language thing I will not bend on. Smart people hear the 'Ceram' part and figure it is to do with things made from fired clay. The puzzled ask, so I explain I throw, handbuild, slipcast, make my own moulds and glazes and fire my own work. The tackier souvenir and hobby businesses have given slip casting a bad name. 'Do you have a kiln?' this separates us from the unskilled hobbyists in their minds. 'Yes, three kilns, an electric wheel and a kick wheel, two slabrollers and a tiny studio'. I specialise in Print On Clay techniques and teach it in workshops. The eyes widen and they want your business card, to know where you sell and your web address.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I tell people that I'm a Potter and I make functional art. If I'm writing it on a form I list it as "Artist/Potter".
    Cindy

    ReplyDelete
  6. I totally Love the comment about people assuming "ceramics" means painting Christmas trees! I hear that story so many times! hahaha..

    I say "ceramics" just because I (did) do a lot of sculpture work.. not just "pottery" So I like that the term covers both. But I call myself a clay artist in conversation..

    Best of luck with your studio classes! Keep us posted! :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. I asked that question on a forum when had barely begun making beads. I figured since I was making beads with the same material I used to make hand built pottery, I was making pottery beads. But on the internet everywhere I looked they were called ceramic beads. I was told by someone far more educated than me that ceramics was an all encompassing term and had to do with the manner in which our work is fired, not how it is fashioned. So I make ceramic beads and hand built pottery.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi Tracey, thanks, here all this time I have used the word ceramics because I didn't think of myself as a potter either and since I moved here so many folks thought of me pouring slip and painting wares I really starting thinking about the word ceramics.

    Hi Michele, thanks, that's the reaction I am getting and I was puzzled by it. Then when I explained they said, "Oh, that's different." I think I am changing my terminology right now.

    Hi Judy, thanks, I don't think artist is pretentious because it conjurs in my mind someone who works at their profession full time as oppposed to someone who does art for a hobby being a craft"y" person. That's another assumption I have come across from folks, if you work with clay it's a hobby, them thinking that if you paint on canvas you are an artist - more terminology.

    Hi Elaine, thanks, I think you are right the tacky souvenier folks have given slip a bad name. I think of that as making as many as fast as they can to sell them to make money with little thought in the process. I've often thought if I could only make a mould of my plates I could decorate so many more plates with all the designs in my head, one of these days I'll pursue that idea. I like to think of each conversation as an opportunity to educate the public too and it sounds like you are doing just that.

    Hi Cindy, thanks, I always think of potter as throwing clay and I rarely throw, mostly pinch and handbuild so was reluctant to use that term for myself.

    Hi Chrissy Ann, thanks, I was really getting that feeling from a lot of people when I said ceramics so I started to worry about using that word. Althought on the other side of the coin I have met some folks who do paint the ceramics and to them the art is all in the painting, they consider the clay piece their canvas and care more about the painting than building the canvas.

    Hi Cindy, thanks, I've noticed beads are called ceramic too and I always thought it was an all encompassing words, but in some folks mind ceramics means something other than clay, I like that hand built potter term too, much to think about.

    ReplyDelete
  9. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I didn't know that ceramics have such stigma in the US and that is unfortunate. I have no problem saying ceramics and I call myself a (ceramic) designer-maker or ceramicist. I was just in London and saw a poster for the Westminster College plastered all over. The photo for the "art and design" course is a classic pottery throwing picture. It illustrates the mindset that pottery is part of art and design as well.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Linda, it sounds like what you are telling them is what you feel you are doing and it's starting the conversation that has started the classes which sound like a good thing. So why not just keep the conversation going?

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi May, thanks, I didn't realize this either, perhaps it's just a local thing in florida I don't knowk but I have changed my about me status to clay artist instead of ceramic artist and will change my terminology when introducing myself.

    Hi Lor, thanks, yes it has stimulated conversation and elicited potential folks to take classes, but in case someone doesn't ask, I don't want them to go away thinking I make tourist ware.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Here on the west coast, I encounter the same thing (you may have, too, when you lived here?). Local lingo indicates that "ceramic artists" do slip-casting, "potters" make functional ware, and what others on your blog are calling a "clay artist" local artists term as "sculptors." I've always introduced myself as a potter, whether I'm handbuilding or throwing, since nearly all of what I make is functional ware.

    I've always found it fascinating that regional descriptions of an art or craft can vary so much, even from state to state.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hi Julia, thanks, I didn't as much on the west coast as here, but I knew more folks there and they knew what I did I guess, here don't know many at all. I think I'll use clay artist since I do sculpture and handbuilt.

    ReplyDelete
  15. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I don't know what the official definition is, or even if there is such a thing, but to me the term "pottery" has connotations of vessels - mugs, vases, jugs, and even flat pieces like plates, tray and trivets.

    I fell like the terms "ceramics" emphasizes the material, so technically it would include pottery, but more often it seems to refer to sculptural work.

    Some pieces kind of blur the lines. Vessels that may be marginally functional but are more about elaborate form or intricate decoration. You can use either term for those. But maybe you can put a higher price tag on 'em if you call them "ceramic sculptures."

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hi Paul, thanks, I used to think like you and still do, but apparently there are many folks who think ceramics is painted slip. A higher price tag would be great though; I start using sculpture more often. Ha.

    ReplyDelete

I love suggestions, questions, critiques, thanks for your comment