Ceramic foundations

The foundation course is designed to provide the fundamental concepts and practical skills necessary for working with clay, from the design of an object to its creation using the principal techniques of manual construction.During the course, students will make simple forms, practical and decorative objects of many different types trough the main hand modeling techniques. Practical sessions will be accompanied by the observation of historic and modern works in ceramics, from the areas of artistic production and design. The course is structured over five meetings of two hours. Students will be encouraged to perform exercises that provide an introduction to the dynamics of forms, and simple projects preceding actual construction: they will be the starting point for the definition of the next cycle of objects made in the advanced course. In the final stages of the course, students will be provided with basic knowledge of the properties and preparation of clay, the use of ceramic coatings, and techniques of firing in electric kilns. Objects will be decorated with slip and glazes.