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.

Students will gain hands-on experience with a variety of ceramic and clay-like processes, both within the Wet Shops and beyond. We will begin with a comprehensive introduction to traditional ceramics, covering handbuilding techniques, bisque firing, and glaze firing. As students learn the generative lifecycle of ceramic objects, they will then delve into more advanced/experimental methods such as mold making, monotypes on clay, and printed transfers, while also learning about the unique acoustic properties of clay. The course moves beyond the Ceramic studio to explore site based and larger-scale sculptural practices, introducing cellulose/paper-based clays and armature building for work that is not kiln-reliant. Emphasis will shift from the singular sculpture to installation based approaches, with a focus on multimedia and modular elements. Among others, we’ll explore works by Ai Weiwei, Rashid Johnson, Mona Hatoum, Aaron Angell, Raven Halfmoon and Maria Nepomuceno. The semester culminates in an independent project where students have the opportunity to explore their own artistic vision using the processes covered throughout the course.