• Material Properties • Self Expression and Process • The 'Art/Craft' Debate

Thinking about ceramics: self-expression and process The question of self-expression, or expressiveness, is a complicated one in ceramics. The importance of technique and process sets it at variance from, say, expressive painting which can seem to be a direct out-pouring of the maker’s state of mind. Even if a maker handles the raw clay in an immediate, expressive way, their work must undergo the firing process. They must anticipate the changes that will happen in the kiln. Ceramics are generally fired twice. The first firing is known as the biscuit firing and results in a hard blank object. Next the surface effects are applied, sometimes followed by a layer of glaze that will give a transparent, glossy finish. The object is then fired for the second time, after which it will normally be ready to use. This is the traditional method. A wide range of surface effects, often experimental, employing many different materials, can be seen in Ceramic Contemporaries 4. Some makers fire their work many times in order to attain particular effects.