Metamorphism: The Process of Change

Artist Statement

Ceramics are made by turning clay and glaze into a rock covered with glass. This magical process of change can be explained through geology. The most magical process in ceramics to me was how glazes work, and through learning about the science behind them, I hoped to better predict how my piece would turn out after it goes into the kiln. My final piece showcases the process of change that glaze undergoes in the kiln, and the process of change I experienced as a student in this class. We often joked about all the ways that a piece can go wrong, whether when wedging the clay, forming it on the wheel, taking it off the wheel, trimming it, bisque firing it, glazing it, transporting it back to your home—the options for failure are endless! Most of the pieces you see on display survived all of the ways a pot can be messed up, but some showcase how all of these “mistakes” can still be art. As I was forming the brown and black piece, it developed a thin spot and folded. In the kiln, a piece made of clay that was not intended to be fired at high temperatures was placed next to mine; it melted and fused to my piece, and the glaze I covered it in ran to the bottom, fusing it to the ceramic tile in the kiln. This piece represents some of the many ways pottery can go wrong, and yet, it is still considered art, and alongside my more “perfect” blue cup, showcases the creative process of pottery. Both pieces are displayed next to a test-tile, covered in the glaze, which has not been fired in the kiln. The cooling rates, glaze composition (especially the flux content, which lowers the melting point), application thickness, clay body chemistry, and so many more factors all play a role in how the glaze transforms. The color of the blue cup is called Floating Blue, which is a vibrant, variegated color. The colorants that change the color of the glaze through oxidation are cobalt, iron red, and rutile, in a 1:2:4 ratio. These colorants, when heated to high temperatures at cone 5–6 (1180°C to 1240°C), undergo chemical reactions that alter their atomic structure as they interact with silica and oxygen. The raw metal oxides form new silicates which reflect light differently, altering the colors that we see. When creating or mixing glazes (as on my other piece, which combines Arabia and Metallic Black), and when glazing any piece, it is challenging to predict the color outcome due to the vast number of factors that impact the final color. This is a great analog for why ceramics and science are challenging, and for how, through trial and error (sometimes mostly error), so much can be learned.