Previous entry:
We Control the Weather

Next Entry:
Ships in the Night

Home:
One Truth For All

Archives

• May 2008
• April 2008
• March 2008
• February 2008
• December 2007
• November 2007
• October 2007
• September 2007
• August 2007
• July 2007
• May 2007
• April 2007
• March 2007
• February 2007
• December 2006
• November 2006
• October 2006
• September 2006
• August 2006
• July 2006
• June 2006
• May 2006
• April 2006
• March 2006
• February 2006
• January 2006
• December 2005
• November 2005
• October 2005
• September 2005
• August 2005
• July 2005
• June 2005
• May 2005
• April 2005
• March 2005
• February 2005
• January 2005
• December 2004
• November 2004
• October 2004
• September 2004
• August 2004
• July 2004
• June 2004
• May 2004
• April 2004
• March 2004
• February 2004
• January 2004
• December 1969

April 28, 2004

What a Lecture

Today the guild had Richard Notkin in to discuss his work. He gave two lectures: one a history of his work from 1968 to present, and the other, after a brief break, a technical explanation of how he makes his work and the sorts of clay and surface treatments he uses.

This man is a master mold maker. His molds are works of art in and of themselves, and I took four pages of notes during his technical talk. I came away with some really great, useful information on mold making, and I can't wait to use it (but I must, as our last day of wet clay is next Wednesday and I have three sculptures to finish before then).

So, here's some of what I got from the lecture:

• Pouring spouts can be drilled after the mold is made, to the size of a funnel which you insert in the hole. Then the plastic of the funnel keeps the clay from hardening in the spout and makes it easier to empty the mold and to clean up afterward.
• You can make molds of tiny items by adding small air vents to the exterior and forcing the slip in with a syringe or baster.
• Formica-covered boards make the best cottle boards.
• When mold soap is dirty it tends to foam, so pour a small amount in a cup to use for a particular mold and discard it when it has gone cloudy.
• You can make masters for moldmaking from leather-hard clay turned on the wheel and milled out with carving tools; the solid clay keeps the whole thing damp.
• When you make a mold of a leather-hard clay positive, line the hole in the clay bed with plastic wrap to keep the positive from sticking to the clay bed. Use super-wet clay for the clay bed and make that conform to the positive, and you will keep your detail.
• You can store castings under bell jars to keep them damp without losing detail from plastic contact.
• You can carve out the detail in undercuts after doing a casting, and you will still have saved yourself time on modelling.
• Time is a tool.

I also really enjoyed his sense of humour and self-possession about his art. At one point he talked about how the teapot makers in Yixing complained that his teapots were not functional, to which he responded, "Some of my teapots are not very functional, but I think I'm more interested in conveying ideas and concepts than tea."

Posted by ayse on 04/28/04 at 10:58 PM