7.30.2009

Making History

Ayumi Horie shared this piece by Julia Galloway about teaching a ceramics as history class at NSCD.

Great Piece.

The AmericasSome years ago I had a dream about walking through the history of ceramics. I wanted to stand in a room and see how pottery changes over the years, through different countries, and see the influences of trade and natural resources. I wanted to see whole in front of me what I understood in bits and pieces. Hence, the "Making History" course was born. I decided to teach a class where students would make historical pottery; they would research the building techniques, clays and glazes of iconographic pottery from all over the world. They would make these objects to understand, to learn how to see, and to learn how to make. I wanted the students to work on something outside of themselves; work not based on their own self-expression or ego, but based simply on learning through making and through researching, and on the sheer pleasure of re-discovering things that have come before. This study would culminate in a large-scale exhibition of all of these objects, arranged within a timeline and within geographical relationships.

I have taught at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design twice before and I know that NSCAD students are extremely talented, thoughtful, ambitious and always up for working hard. In addition, when I was a student, Professor Walter Ostrom helped me understand the importance and profound influence that the history of ceramics has on our understanding of clay today. Teaching this course at NSCAD is a way of paying homage to Walter Ostrom's great dedication to his students and the study of historical ceramics.

The Americas








































Read the rest of the story at Julia's Site.




8 comments:

Nelle Fastman Pingree said...

Mike; You posted a comment on one of my posts on Clayclub.blogspot.com and I am confused as to whose blog you wanted to list: clayclub, Oyclay or artbabble. Feel free to add all of them. Please advise.

Thanks.

Matthew Katz said...

Hi
Sorry about that. i'm just trying to get the list up to 400, and it is hard to ID multiple blogs written by one person
I'll add them all

Margaret Brampton said...

Hi, Have you viewed Kitty Shepherd's blog? If not try Kitty's Spanish Studio at www.kittyshepherd.blogspot.com

Matthew Katz said...

Hi Margaret!
Yep, I've got Kitty. Thanks for the heads up.
I'm getting closer to 400. 386, at present. But I have a feeling that last 145 are going to be tough to get.

Linda Starr said...

great article and what a great class that would be to take.

Amy said...

thanks for the comment on my blog. Wow... SO many pottery blogs! Will follow yours now. peace-

Natalie -- NKP Designs said...

I can't wait for your next installment. This is great. Thanks!

AnneW said...

NSCAD is a great school.

Hey I finally added your blog link to my page. Yay! Hope to be back to blogging later this week. Hope you're getting some sunny weather up there finally.