This course provides students with a comprehensive introduction to clay, covering its origins, physical properties, and firing processes. Clay, as a constantly renewing resource on Earth, holds a unique status as one of the few substances devoid of inherent value, it's worth transmuted by the intervention of the artist. These foundational concepts serve as a backdrop for the introduction to fundamental techniques such as hand-building, surface treatment, and glazing. Examining works by artists Simone Fattal, Betty Woodman, Gabriel Orozco, Jumana Manna, Arlene Shechet, and Roberto Lugo, we'll also explore the intersection of printmaking and ceramics and investigate methods for coloring clay bodies. The course will introduce essential tools such as the extruder, slab roller, and spray booth. As students explore their own unique visual language within this medium, discussions around material as meaning and the relationship of clay to body will be explored as we consider the ways in which this material is inextricably linked to the history of people throughout time.

This course will cover a range of concepts, traditions and techniques that are specific to the disciplines of both ceramics and sculpture. Projects will revolve around the topics of space, structure and form and the development of ideas in relation to material. Techniques and processes will include hand-building, surface treatment and glazing. Clay is a subtle material allowing an exchange between the medium and the self. Its rich history provides a backdrop to frame contemporary investigations into ritual, objecthood and artistic expression. Students are encouraged to experiment with a range of strategies, including installation work, large construction, and experimental techniques.