Here are few more pieces from the last firing. The two pieces above are striped with Florida clay slip alternating with white slip and matt clear glaze exterior and rutile interior. They're super thin and are about 3h x 4w inches. I often wonder, is it too thin? Oh, you thought I was talking about my being too thin. Ha. I wish. They look fragile especially at the top edge, but would be nice as a sculptural element on a shelf. I do like the tear in the front of the one. What do you think about thin pottery?
This is a medium pinch bowl, about 4h x 8.5w inches, I also made it super thin and textured and patched pieces of clay to make it look ancient. Unfortunately my choice of glaze was a crackle on the interior and it bubbled. This was the last piece I glazed for that firing; I was tired and not thinking clearly about how to glaze it. I'd like to make more of these bowls and use a different glaze on them, something earthy, perhaps some unglazed Florida clay slip.
Anyway I wonder if you think functional pottery can be too thin. I remember seeing a very thin porcelain tumbler a potter was drinking coffee from at a workshop in Ventura years ago; I was amazed how well it held up. I don't have much experience using thin or delicate ceramic ware myself to know firsthand just how strong thin ceramic pieces really are. What do you think? Can a functional piece of pottery be too thin to use. Should thin be reserved for more formal ware, for sculptural pieces? Have you or do you use very thin pottery, can you tell me your experience with that use? Thanks for reading and for all your comments.
© Linda Starr
I've actually had customers buy a piece because it has some substance to it and I've had one person compare my work with another artist who's pots are much lighter. I think heavy is good for some pieces like vases but bad for others like water pitchers.
ReplyDeletethe too thin conversation has come up often around here. i know a potter who makes very chunky sculptural pieces, yet his hand built mugs are paper thin and often stand on three little legs. they are beautiful to look at but to me they are too fragile to use. i am also not a fan of very thin rims, they tend to chip. we have four tumblers from a very well known potter and within the first month one of them had a chipped rim. I no longer put them in the dish drainer to dry, I wash them and immediately dry and put away. Another potter I know makes condiment spoons... the handles are long and thin. a gallery that sells her work says she has many complaints that they break too easily (some never made it home!). I think my feeling is that if you are marketing something that is meant to be used it should be sturdy enough for the purpose intended. so for such a long comment!
ReplyDeleteHi Lori, thanks, these were thin, and then when I fired them they got super thin, water pitchers, yeah too heavy to hold. Ha.
ReplyDeleteHi Michele, thanks so much for your long comment, it really helps, I think to look at thin is nice, but to use something super thin is not so nice. And all three of these pots have very thin rims but I really meant the third one to look like an ancient artifact, the other two as vases and I think they are too thin for that so they'd have to be put in a case or on a shelf just to look at.
I think functional ware should be fit for modern living.Stout rims that take a knock or two, handles that are pulled and have good attachments.It also depends on your clay and firing.My cone 10 mugs may be as thin as 1/8th to 3/16th in the body cone 6 a little heavier.Plates 1/4"+ with a fat 1/2" lip.I don't make delicate ware or live delicately. Some of it is very nice to look at but functional means it will hold up to use.
ReplyDeleteHi Dennis, thanks so much, I'm not one of those Victorian age dainty tea party types, but some of the sculptures I've seen in galleries sure look super thin, but I guess those are sculptures and not functional. I have been known to accidentally knock a piece of pottery against something and it sure does help if it can take an occasional hit on the rim without breaking.
ReplyDeleteI actually think there is a place for delicate special occassion use functional pots. Kind of reminiscent of other generations getting out "the good china" for company. I like the tiny feet paired with the thin pots up top. Pretty.
ReplyDeleteHi Barbara, thanks, sometimes I do like a thin, delicate piece, my lifestyle doesn't fit the delicate forms, but I am drawn to make them occasionally because they are fun and a challenge to make. And yet I put some rough slip on the delicate forms, strange choice, but it must be leading me somewhere, at least I hope so.
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