Archive for the ‘Announcement’ Category

Now on view: Hand and Eye, Contemporary Reflections of East Asian Ceramic Traditions, an exhibition of contemporary ceramics co-sponsored by CASC. Details at this page.

On October 8, 2017 CASC will host a day-long Symposium on “The Red and the Black: Art & Science of Iron-Bearing Ceramic Surfaces.” Speakers will include ceramists Ted Neal, Dan Murphy and Dave Peters; Mesoamerican historian Elodie Dupey Garcia; and material scientists Eleni Aloupi-Siotis, Yoshihiro Kusano and Minoru Fukuhara. The Symposium will conclude with a panel discussion led by geologist Gail Mahood and artists Elizabeth Turk and Gail Nichols. Click here for an updated page with speaker and panelist bios.

SAVE THE DATE — On October 8, 2017 (that’s NEXT year) CASC will host a Symposium on “The Red and The Black:  Art & Science of Iron-Bearing Ceramic Surfaces.”  Click here for a PDF poster, and here for detailed bios of the invited speakers and panelists.

Please join us at 7pm on Thursday 21 May 2015 in ART2 (Cummings Art Building) for a screening of the following lineup of ceramics-themed films!

Paying Honest Attention, a film by Goldmark Art (22 minutes). From the dvd case: “Anne Mette Hjortshoj lives and works on the small Danish island of Bornholm situated in the Baltic Sea. Our documentary gives a gentle and revealing insight into one of Denmark’s leading potters. It follows Hjortshoj’s daily life; collecting clay from the local beach for her glazes, throwing and making pots in her studio, and talking about the firing of her two chamber wood-fired salt kiln and its role in producing the decorative aspects of her work. We learn of her influences and the inspiration she takes from the nature of the island.”

Massive Terra-Cotta Horse Construction of South India, a film by Ron du Bois (19 minutes). From the filmmaker’s website: “Massive terra-cotta horses have been constructed as shrines in South India for thousands of years. Standing nine to 25 feet high, they may be the largest single hollow clay images to be built anywhere on earth. Built by the heirs of an ancient tradition, the horses inseparably link clay and religion. Yet, because they are built in remote village shrines, they are virtually unknown. The entire process of construction and firing in situ was filmed over a period of 15 consecutive days.”

A short film on creating ceramics, by a Stanford MFA student, shot in the Stanford Ceramics Club studio (2 minutes).

The Successor of Kakiemon, directed by Suzanne Raes and produced by Submarine (49 minutes). From the dvd case: “How does one take over a company that is four centuries old and has been run by one’s father, his father’s father and so on. Here is the unique story of such a time capsule where we witness how a modern-day Japanese family that has transformed everyday pottery into the world famous mythical Kakiemon porcelain and preserves its traditions, now passes on the leadership to their only son. Is he up to the task that lies ahead? What’s at stake if this successor does not succeed? Kakiemon, one of the most refined types of porcelain, was developed in the 17th century by ceramist Sakaida Kakiemon. Today, the production, entirely handmade and hand painted is still owned by his direct descendants. Keeping this tradition alive is more than just reproducing craft. It is somewhat a statement against modernity and mass production. After periods of isolation and expansion, wars, nuclear bombs and now a devastating earthquake, this Japanese family is clinging to tradition – no matter how fragile it is.”