Murphy, John Satre

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University of Montana

University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers Graduate School 1968 Ceramics as sculpture John Satre Murphy The University of Montana Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd Let us know how access to this document benefits you. Recommended Citation Murphy, John Satre, "Ceramics as sculpture" (1968). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 1765. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/1765 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contact scholarworks@mso.umt.edu. CERAMICS AS SCULPTUREbyJohn S . MurphyB. A. U n iv e rs ity  o f W ashington, I 963P re sen te d  in  p a r t i a l  f u l f i l lm e n t  o f  th e  req u irem en tsfo r  th e  d eg ree  o fM aster o f F ine  A rts  UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA1968Approved by:/ .  fZucù̂  A/ccù.chairm an, Board^of Examine]D e |^  G raduate School JUN4 1966UMI Number: EP34590All rights reservedINFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent on the quality of the copy submitted.In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed,a note will indicate the deletion.UMTUMI EP34590Copyright 2012 by ProQuest LLC.All rights reserved. This edition of the work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code.uest*ProQuest LLC.789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346TABLE OF CONTENTSPaLIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS........................................................................ 1TEXT OF THESIS .................................................................................ILLUSTRATIONS........................................................................................ If-:LIST OF ILLUSTEATIONS F ig u re  PaHeed Box S e r ie s1 . Head Box No. 1 ...................................................................2. Head Box No. 2 ...................................................................3 . Head Box No. 3 ...................................................................h. Head Box No. 4 . . .  .................................................5 . Head Box G r o u p i n g ..........................................................S c u lp tu r a l  Ceram ic S e r ie s6 . S i lv e r  C l i t  ........................................................................7 . Golden C l i t  ........................................................................8 . M ini T ab le w ith  C ast Lead I n s e r t ...........................9 . S i lv e r  D ots ........................................................................10. S ad d le  f o r  a Sm all C a m e l ...........................11. Worms No. 1 . . .  ..........................................................12. Worms No. 2............................ ...................1 3 . Worms N o . 3.............................................................................14 . Worms No. 4 .......................................................................1 5 . Worms No. 5 .......................................................... ....CERAMICS AS SCULPTUREMy work in  c la y  d u rin g  th e  p a s t two y e a rs  has encompassed a few o f  th e  many p o s s i b i l i t i e s  concern ing  th e  usage o f  c la y . Wheel throw n u t i l i t y  w are; th e  Raku p ro ­c e s s ,  w ith  i t s  a c c id e n ta l  q u a l i ty  in  re g a rd  to  th e  g la z e s ; a r a th e r  t i g h t  s la b  s e r i e s  o f  s c u lp tu r a l  ceram ics i l l u s ­t r a t e d  in  t h i s  paper bo th  by t e x t  and p ic tu r e s .For some tim e I  have no t co n s id e red  u t i l i t y  p o tte r ;  to  be an a r t  form . I t  i s  a  c r a f t  and should  be l e f t  a t  t h a t .  The e x p lo ra t io n  o f t h i s  c r a f t  does enhance o n e 's  te c h n ic a l  knowledge o f  c la y  and g la z e s ,  and fo r  th i s  rea so n  I  f e l t  i t  n e c e ssa ry  to  d ea l w ith  t h i s  a sp ec t o f  c la ;The id e a  o f  th e  c o n ta in e r  became l e s s  im p o rtan t as I  became in v o lv ed  w ith  th e  "HeadBox” s e r i e s .  I l l u s t r a t i o n  No. 2 , th e  “Head B oxes," was e s s e n t i a l l y  f iv e  s c u lp tu r a l  r e l i e f s  jo in e d  to g e th e r  to  fu n c tio n  as a s c u lp tu r a l  square  The d e c o ra tio n s  or em bellishm ent o f th e se  r e l i e f s  stemmed from th e  s o - c a l le d  p sy c h e d e lic  a r t  and i t s  in f lu e n c e  upon iAs my involvem ent w ith  c la y  became s tro n g e r  th e  n e c e s s i ty  fo r  a  com plete ly  v e rb a l and i n t e l l e c t u a l  approacl became l e s s  im p o r ta n t , as th e r e  e x i s t s  a trem endous gap be­tween my p re se n t w ork, which i s  th e  end r e s u l t  o f  th e  a c t  o f  doing and th e  v e rb a l o r i n t e l l e c t u a l i z i n g  th a t  can onlyfo llo w  th e  end r e s u l t  o r p roduct o f  th e  ac t*To view th e  ceram ic p ie c e s  i l l u s t r a t e d  in  p u re ly  v e rb a l term s would be a m is tak e  and in  f a c t  can not be do as any u n d e rs ta n d in g  o f  th e s e  ceram ics must be found on in d iv id u a l  se n su a l te rm s , and th e r e fo r e  I  f e e l  i t  unneces sa ry  to  d is c u s s  th e  s e n s u a l i ty  o f  each p ie c e .  I  o f fe r  as an a l t e r n a t i v e  a  b r i e f  d e s c r ip t io n  o f my p e rso n a l in v o lv e  ment w ith  th e se  ce ram ic s .I  d i d n 't  p la n  a s e r ie s  o f work, I  m erely  planned work, to  do , to  a c t ,  u s in g  th e  c la y  as a b a s i s .  As a r e s u l t ,  s im ila r  form s evolved a t  th e  same tim e in  v a rio u s  s ta g e s  o f developm ent. The c la y  was h u r le d , throw n, c o i le d  and to s s e d  from one form to  an o th er during  v a rio u s  s ta g e s  o f  my e x c ite m e n t. At tim es f a b r ic  o f  an i n t e r e s t i  p a t te r n  was dampened and s tr e tc h e d  onto  an i r r e g u la r  p la s  o r s tu f f e d  b u r la p  form . The c la y  was then  a p p lie d  le a v in  an im p rin t o f  th e  f a b r ic  when f i r e d .  In  o th e r  a c ts ,  th e  c la y  was c o i le d  and h u rled  in to  e x is t in g  bisqued* form s. The p re v io u s ly  b isq u ed  forms b eing  porous ac ted  as a spon ab so rb in g  th e  w ate r from th e  c la y  and th u s  promoted d ry in  A fte r  th e  p ie c e s  were d ry  th ey  were f i r e d  to  1005 C en tig rad e  and when coo l were s a tu ra te d  w ith  a co b a lt s t a  in  w ate r s o lu t io n .  T h is s o lu t io n  was th en  scrubbed fromh ig h  or r e l i e f  p o r tio n s  o f  th e  b isqued  p ie c e , and th en  f i r e d  to  m a tu r i ty  a t  1250° C e n tig ra d e . The c o b a lt s t a in  l e f t  in  th e  te x tu re d  a re a s  o f  th e  c la y  f i r e d  to  a dark  b lu e -b la c k  a t  t h i s  te m p e ra tu re .To f u r th e r  enhance th e  work and to  c r e a te  a g r e a te r  v is u a l  ex c item en t two subsequen t f i r i n g s  were r e q u ir e d .  The f i r s t  f i r i n g  used  a low tem p era tu re  le a d  g la z e . And th e  second , a  f i r i n g  a t  ex trem ely  low tem pera­tu r e ,  u t i l i z e d  m e ta l l ic  l u s t e r s .The ceram ic p ie c e s  were and a re  th e  end r e s u l t  o f  a p h y s ic a l ex p e rien ce  w ith  c la y .4l .--n ôad  3oz No. 1?lgw 2#——Ee&d 3ox Ko* 263«~2aad 3oz Kc. 3î’i g .  4 . —Head Box Ko. 47 ig .  5*—Mead 2oz Grouping9Pig. 6.—S i lv e r  c u t107 •““Golden C l i t11I !f t? l g .  3 .—K ln l T ab le w ith  C ast Lead I n s e r t12? lg . 9 .—S ilver  Dots13rwn m71 £. 1 0 .—S&dile fcr  a - a l l  Oanel14--V on s IÎO, 115F ig .  1 2 .— 'iJorns No. 216iMmF ig .  1 3.— WoTids Ko. 317? l g .  1 4 .—Worms No, V18Fig* 1 y «--Worms No* 5

Ceramics as sculpture

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Ceramics as sculpture

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