🎧 Working in the Round Ryan Coppage, PhD

Appears in the January 2023 issue of Ceramics Monthly.

The audio file for this article was produced by the Ceramic Arts Network staff and not read by the author.

Golden Ratio and Circular Visuals

Many artists build spiral visuals into their works, with visual cues that often tie back into a starting point and allow the viewer’s eye to keep working around the form. This may be due to throwing on the wheel, which easily facilitates the formation of circles and spirals. The following pages highlight a range of artists that successfully employ circular visuals in their work.

Visual Success: From an asymmetrical exterior profile, to the edge of the face of the platter, to the variegated surface glazes, this plate has similar, organic qualities throughout. This results in a balanced form and surface design.

Artist Spotlight: Zachary Wollert

I choose to create a rim on my work that has a loose, fluid look. Specifically, my bowls and plates have this fluid rim, to which, I feel adds to the service of food with the work. Fluidity is a common theme in my work. I enjoy the action and responsiveness that are inherent characteristics within clay, thus I attempt to coax the clay into creating playful, fluid lines as I throw on the potter’s wheel. These lines can be seen on the vertical surface of my cups and mugs, inside my bowls, and across the rims of my plates. 

The weight and feel of my work is important. I’ve settled on a weight that isn’t going to be uncomfortable to use, yet is hefty enough that someone isn’t going to be afraid to use the work daily. 

The bowls that I make are a great example of this weight and heft. I throw them to fit well in the palm of the hand. They are light enough to hold comfortably and sturdy enough to take a good scraping with a utensil. Bon appétit!

—Zachary Wollert

Visual Success: A general looseness is celebrated in this dinnerware piece, as the flame marks, inner plate line, and outer edge undulate and flow. 

Thrown, Ribbed, and Glazed Visual Cues

Throwing lines, ribbed motifs, and slip and glaze decoration are tools artists use to direct the viewer’s eye. These visual cues can be used in myriad ways, as shown in the examples below. Whether built into the form (like a wheel thrown spiral) or added at the decorating stage (like Justin Lambert’s slipped designs), these visual cues make a large impact on the design aesthetic of the finished pot and reflect the artist’s intentions for the viewer’s eye.

Process: Justin Lambert’s Thick Slip Textures

1 I use my throwing bucket slurry to make my decorating slip. I do not add anything to it or sieve it. I simply mix it up with a drill mixer attachment until all the lumps are gone. The thickness or thinness of the slip determines the line quality, and in comparison to other slip-decorating artists, my slip is usually a thinner consistency. 2–6 I apply slip using a soft rib in my right hand, while moving the wheel head manually with my left hand. I suggest that you lay out black plastic on the table, pour down some slip, and use a variety of tools to learn how you want to move the material as an exercise. Photos: Andrea Bravo Lambert.

Excerpted from The Anatomy of a Good Pot by Ryan Coppage, PhD, published by The American Ceramic Society and available at mycan.ceramicartsnetwork.org/s/shop.