Glossary of terms

ABSTRACT Concerned with qualities of form and colour etc.. Not representative, not narrative.

AESTHETICS Study of or appreciation for beauty. Philosophies of form. Ideas about taste.

ASSEMBLAGE Like collage (see below), but generally used of arrangements of found objects.

BONE CHINA Fine, hard, translucent china made of clay mixed with bone ash. Most often used for slip casting industrial ware.

BURNISH Polish to a smooth finish, often using a smooth pebble or the back of a spoon.

CASTING SLIP Liquid clay used for casting objects in a mould - see also ‘Working with clay and clay-like materials.’

CLASSICAL Standard of beauty derived from the art and architecture of the classical period in Greece (such as the Parthenon in Athens).

COILING A making technique. Long “worm like” coils of clay are coiled around and around on top of each other to form a pot. This is an excellent technique for making large round pots. For example, most traditional African pots are made this way.

COLLAGE Selection of objects, images etc. combined together in a work of art. Commonly used for montages of magazine or newspaper cuttings, photographs, etc.

COMPOSITION Arrangement of component parts of a work of art, especially in picture design.

CONCEPTUAL Where the concept or idea behind the work is the most important thing.

CLAY – types of:

CRANK - Clay body coarsened by the addition of ground up fired clay.

EARTHENWARE - Clay fired to between 1000 – 1100 degrees centigrade. The clay usually stays porous, and needs to be glazed to become waterproof.

EXPRESSIONIST Art works with emotional intensity, expressing the artist's mood.

FIGURATIVE Represents the human figure.

FUNCTION Use (see ‘utilitarian’).

GENRE Category - such as tableware, sculpture, portraiture etc.

GLAZE Glassy coating melted onto the surface of the pot.

IDEAL FORM Perfect form. Art improving on nature, especially used of figurative work, often related to classical style.

LEATHER HARD Clay that is dry / stiff enough to hold it’s shape, but still soft / wet enough to be joined together.

MOULD Form, usually made of plaster of paris, used to shape clay and to produce multiple copies

NARRATIVE Telling a story.

PIGMENT Substance, often in powdered form, that gives colour.

PAPERCLAY Clay with paper pulp added.

PORCELAIN – Very strong, high fired trancluscent white clay.

PRESS MOULDED Way of forming ceramics by pressing a sheet of clay into a mould.

RELIEF A raised effect on the surface of a work of art.

SALTGLAZE Method of glazing pottery whereby salt is introduced into the kiln during the firing. Produces a characteristic “orange peel” effect.

SODA GLAZE As above, but environmentally less harmful.

SLAB WORK Method of constructing ceramic forms using slabs of clay - see also ‘Working with clay and clay-like materials’.

SLIP - Clay that has been diluted with water to the consistency of cream.

SLIP – DECORATING – slip with oxides or stains added to give colour.

STICKING - the clay you are using mixed with water, which you then use as a “glue” when joining clay together.

CASTING – slip with a special chemical - a “deflocculant” - added to make the slip runny with the minimum amount of water.

SLIP CASTING A technique which produces pots or sculptures by pouring liquid clay “casting slip” into a mould. The moulds can be used several times which means that multiple copies of a pot or object can be made.

STUDIO POTTER One who works from a studio, making individual pieces - as opposed to designing for mass production within the ceramics industry.

STYLISED Natural forms altered in a particular way - such as elongated.

STONEWARE – Clay which can be fired above 1200 degrees centigrade. The clay is usually non-porous at this temperature, strong, and the glaze and clay body start to fuse together.

T-MATERIAL Proprietary brand of clay, developed for its ability to withstand thermal shock.

TEMPLATE Dimensional form cut out of paper / card / wood which you can draw around to give the shape you want. Particularly useful for repetitive work or where accuracy is important.

THERMAL SHOCK Refers to the extremes of temperature change undergone by clay during the firing process.

THROWING The name given to the technique of making pots on the potters wheel.

TURNING The leather hard clay object is spun on the wheel; the potter holds a tool against the edge of the pot as it spins. The method is often used to tidy rough edges and bottoms on pots.

UTILITARIAN Made to be used. Functional.

WHITE ST THOMAS CLAY Type of clay.