Slab Sculpture

This project involves students creating a hand-built ceramic sculpture using slab construction.

Students will learn ceramic building techniques: wedging, slab construction,  attaching clay with the four s's, as well as, focusing on surface quality.

Slab Construction

  • Use slab panels to construct a 3D form
  • No more than 10" in the largest dimension
  • No less than 2" in the smallest dimension

Sculptural

  • Three dimensional form - no more than 10" tall
  • Hollow vessel (no more than 3/4 in thick)
  • Can either stand or hang on its own
  • Name Stamp (stamped into clay)

Principles of Design

  • Repetition of shapes or visual ideas
  • Negative Space
  • Glazing choices enhance the form (minimum of two glaze colors)

Technical Videos

Artists to Research

CERAMIC SCULPTORS
BETTY WOODMAN
​​JULIA KUNIN
​JOHN MASON
JACQUES LIPCHITZ
KEN PRICE
​SYD CARPENTER

2D ARTISTS WHO MIGHT ALSO INSPIRE YOU
HENRI MATISSE
CECIL TOUCHON
WASSILY KANDINSKY
​MAURITS CORNELIS ESCHER

Step-by-step Instructions

DESIGN
  • Research slab construction ceramic sculptures and identify which sculptures you find most appealing
  • Draw 4+ design ideas for your slab construction sculpture using at least 2 types of repetition within each design
  • Consider how negative space and repetition can control the eye movement of the viewer through the composition 
BASE
  • Start with either a slab base for your footprint or a wall mount base with a hanging hook hole for a hanging relief sculpture
  • Be sure you join all of the clay you add using the 4 S's - Score, Slip, Stick, Smooth
SLAB CONSTRUCTION
  • Add slabs of clay to construct your form
  • Add repeating visual elements (shapes, textures, forms, etc.) to create visual movement
  • You must use at least 2 instances of negative space to increase visual interest
  • Your vessel should be no bigger than 10 inches in any direction and at least 2 inches in the smallest direction
SURFACE FINISH
  • Every joint must be fully joined and smoothed
  • Texture can be smooth or added (impressed, added clay, carved)
FINISHING
  • You are allowed to add additional details of your choosing
  • You must stamp or etch your name into the vessel - choose a location that will not distract from the grandeur of what you have made (the resting base is often a good choice)
GLAZING
  • You must use at least 2 glazes on your vessel
  • You cannot glaze the resting base that touches the kiln shelf - you must remove any glaze that would touch the kiln shelf

Slab Construction

WEDGE
ROLL OUT A SLAB
CUT SHAPES
SCORE BOTH PARTS
ADD SLIP TO BOTH PARTS
STICK FIRMLY & SMOOTH SEAMS
YOU MUST HAVE AT LEAST TWO INSTANCES OF NEGATIVE SPACE
NEGATIVE SPACE HOLES
NEGATIVE SPACE RECESSES
NEGATIVE SPACE OVERHANG
YOU MUST HAVE VISUAL REPETITION
REPETITION: OVALS & RECTANGLES
REPETITION: DIAMONDS & CARVED TEXTURE
REPETITION: LEAF SHAPES & CARVED LINES

Plastic & Leatherhard Clay

You can build your slab construction during either the Plastic stage, when the clay is wet and pliable, or the Leatherhard stage, when the clay is firmer. You must blend every joint until the clay is thoroughly bonded. You can smooth the surface, carve textures or add decorative surface details after construction, while it is still leather-hard.

Bisqueware

Once the clay is completely dry, it is fired in the kiln. When it comes back from the kiln, it is hard and permanently changed. It will no longer reconstitute back into malleable clay.

Glazed

Finishing your sculpture with glazes that add color to your ceramic project. Do not add glaze to the bottom that touches the kiln shelf. You'll need at least 2 glazes.

Gaudi Cup - Ken Price

  • Slab construction: flat shapes fully joined together
​
  • Repetition: rectangles with tails, yellow on different surfaces

  • Negative Space:  hole in top, overhangs in front and sides
 
  • Surface: completely smooth
 
  • Glazes: jungle green, yellow, orange

Vertical Totem - Thierry Martenon

  • Slab construction: (uh oh - actually this is made of wood!)

  • Repetition: horizontal lines, carved pitting

  • Negative space: vertical slit at top, long vertical recess in front

  • Surface: two carved textures (linear grooves and pits)

  • Glazes:  (wood can't have glaze - India ink patina)

Wall Assemblage - Derek Wilson

  • Slab construction: flat shapes, fully joined together
​
  • Repetition: half circles, rectangles

  • Negative Space: holes, ledges
 
  • Surface: smooth, with scratched texture on some surfaces 
 
  • Glazes: dark grey, medium grey

Research

JULIA KUNIN
​
Watch this video with Julia Kunin
KEN PRICE
Check out the geometric works of Ken Price.

His works in the 70s were smooth geometric, cubist, and abstract.
His works in the 80s were textured, but still geometric.
His later works are very organic.
JOHN MASON
SYD CARPENTER
GRACE BROWN 
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HOLLOW
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SLAB CONSTRUCTION
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REPETITION
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NEGATIVE SPACE
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SURFACE QUALITY (smooth and/or textured)
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SOLID JOINTS (seams are smoothed and joints are solid)
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FUNCTION (standing sculpture option has a flat base and doesn't fall over)
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FUNCTION (wall mounted sculpture option has a handing hole in the back for wall mounting)
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NAME (etched or stamped)
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2+ GLAZES (could be used to reinforce the shape of the form and link areas of the composition together)
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2+ GLAZES (could be used to go against the form - linking areas of the composition together by color alone)

Slab Sculpture Requirements

SCULPTING REQUIREMENTS
  • HOLLOW (a vessel has an empty interior, walls no thicker than 3/4")
  • SIZE (largest dimension should be between 6" and 10", smallest dimension should be at least 2")
  • SLAB CONSTRUCTION (must use slab construction for the majority of the sculpture, all joints are thoroughly blended so that they appear strong and seamless)
  • REPETITION (visual interest created by incorporating at least 2 repeated visual elements)
  • NEGATIVE SPACE (2+ negative spaces used in the composition activate the form)
  • SURFACE QUALITY (surface texture is intentional - either smooth, textured - impressed, textured with added clay, or textured with carved designed)
  • STAYS TOGETHER (wedged clay, scored, used slip, smoothed joints, doesn't blow up in the kiln)
  • FUNCTION (for a sitting sculpture it needs a resting base to sit on a flat surface - ie. flat bottom, feet, etc. - or - for a wall hanging sculpture, it needs a wall hanging hook hole)
  • NAME (etched or stamped using your name block)
GLAZING REQUIREMENTS
  • TWO or more glaze colors
  • Consider using color to connect areas of the composition together
  • NO glaze on standing/resting surface (wherever it touches the kiln shelf)
  • COMPLETELY COVERED except for flute components (windway, fipple, labium) and the bottom of resting surfaces

Sculpture Forms

Consider the overall structure of your sculpture. Besides being hollow, there are a LOT of ways to structure your form. 

SYMMETRY or ASYMMETRY
Consider whether you want your vessel to be symmetric or asymmetric. Symmetry helps make your design look intentional. Asymmetry adds movement and spontaneity.

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SYMMETRIC
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ASYMMETRIC
ORGANIC and / or GEOMETRIC
Many slab constructions are geometric, but you can also consider making an organic sculpture or using organic elements
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GEOMETRIC
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MIXTURE OF GEOMETRIC & ORGANIC
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ORGANIC
NEGATIVE SPACE
Multiple types of negative spaces help create visual interest and keep your sculpture from feeling heavy and lifeless. 
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RECESSES, HOLES, & LEDGES
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RECESSES, HOLES & LEDGES (tilted verticals at an angle help create more movement)
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LEDGES & A HOLE
REPETITION
​What shapes, colors, or textures will you repeat in different areas of the sculpture to link those areas together visually?
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CIRCLES, ARCHES, DIAGONALS
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POLYGONS, LIGHT BLUE & BLACK
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SMOOTH & CORRUGATED TEXTURES
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This one is less successful, because all of the repeated shapes are clumped together - they don't link areas of the composition

Sketch Ideas

• 6 IDEAS
    very different ideas with very different silhouettes, different solutions to the visual requirements
• 3 REFINED IDEAS
    choose your favorite from the 6 and create 3 versions of just that one idea 
• DENOTE YOUR FAVORITE PARTS
     write notes or put asterisks next to your favorite parts you are certain you want to include

Cardboard Maquette

You may want to make a cardboard maquette of your sculpture to see how it will look before you make it in clay.

Just remember the largest dimension should be between 6" and 10". 

Base

You can start with a slab that sits on the table or a slab that will hang on a wall. If it's for a wall, it will need a keyhole.

Slab Construction

Use slabs of clay to create shapes that you put together into a 3D form.

Repetition

Use repeating shapes, colors, or textures to link areas of the composition together.

Negative Spaces

Use negative spaces, like holes, ledges, and recesses to create visual movement.

Texture

Consider impressed, carved, or added clay textures to create a distinction between smooth areas and textured areas

Joints

Make sure all joints are securely attached, smoothed, and refined

Name Stamp

Name carved or stamped into bottom of vessel

Turn in to Dry

Dry clay is very fragile - don't touch it after you turn it in

Glazing
GLAZE CONSIDERATIONS
Consider glazing and then wiping off the glaze from the surface to highlight textured recesses.

Consider using a color to connect areas of the composition that are not visually linked.

​If you want the raw clay colors to show in areas, consider using a clear satin on those areas.

Consider matte or satin glaze on outside and gloss on inside or vice versa.

Consider how the colors you use will create a cohesive project.
UNDERGLAZE
You can use underglaze to make detailed designs on your sculpture surface. Underglazes can be applied underneath a regular glaze or you can test out on top of a glaze.
TEXTURE & GLAZE
You can use impressed, carved or raise lines to create glaze barriers that make controlling glaze designs easier.

​You can also use stencils or stickers to create a glaze barrier to make designs within the glaze easier to manage.
GLAZE
You can use glaze to cover larger areas on your sculpture. Regular glazes can mix, run, or move unpredictably.
MINIMUM OF 2 COLORS
NO GLAZE WHERE IT RESTS ON THE KILN 

Documenting

Take four photos of  your sculpture
  • One photo - front view
  • One photo - 3/4 view
  • One photo - side view
  • One photo - selfie with sculpture 
Your photos should have a solid color background without any other objects visible (use the photo cube). Your photos should be cropped so that your object is centered in the frame with an equal amount of negative space around all sides. Your photo should be cropped close so that the object takes up the majority of the frame.

​Fill out the written reflection
Send an email sharing your work with an important adult following the email instructions

Grading Criteria