Improvisational structure

I believe archetypal rhythms create life cycles and are manifest in the emotional, philosophical, and physical world. This environment is continuously churned by forces both positive and negative. My work is a direct response to this environment and its impact on the human experience. The power of these forces in our lives and our need to confront them and/or make sense out of them is the essence of my work.

IMPROVISATIONAL STRUCTURE by Victoria Hixson-Longaker A thesis submitted to the faculty of The University of Utah in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts Department of Art The University of Utah June 1996 Copyright ® Victoria Hixson-Longaker 1996 All Rights Reserved THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE APPROVAL of a thesis submitted by Victoria Hixson-Longaker This thesis has been read by each member o f the following supervisory committee and by majority vote has been found to be satisfactory. # ? Chairman: David Pendell Nathan Winters Meredith Moench THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS FINAL READING APPROVAL To the Graduate Council o f T h e University o f Utah: I have read the thesis o f _V i c t o r i a H lx so n ^ -L p n g a k e r----------------------------- in its final form and have found that (1) its format, citations, and bibliographic style are consistent and acceptable; (2) its illustrative materials including figures, tables, and charts are in place; and (3) the final manuscript is satisfactory to the Supervisory Committee and is ready for submission to the Graduate School. D a v id P e n d e l l Chairperson, Supervisory Committee Approved for the Major Department E. D. W ilso n Chairperson Approved for the Graduate Council R o b e r t Sy O lp in Dean, College of Fine Arts ev. /81 3 ABSTRACT I believe archetypal rhythms create life cycles and are manifest in the emotional, philosophical, and physical world. This environment is continuously churned by forces both positive and negative. My work is a direct response to this environment and its impact on the human experience. The power of these forces in our lives and our need to confront them and/or make sense out of them is the essence of my work. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT................................................................................................................. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS............................................................................................. vi IMPROVISATIONAL STRUCTURE.......................................................................... 1 The First Series...................................................................................................2 Technique.............................................................................................. ..3 The Second Series...............................................................................................5 Techniques...............................................................................................5 The Third Series............................................................................................... 6 Technique.............................................................................................. ..7 LIST OF PRINTS......................................................................................................... 8 PRINTS.......................................................................... ..............................................11 Appendices A: RECIPE FOR PAPERCLAY................................................................................28 B: RECIPE FOR PATINA.......................................................................................... 30 REFERENCES.............................................................................................................32 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS My sincere thanks go to David Pendell, chair of my committee, whose intense daily input and expectations of a perfectionist pushed me to do my very best; to Meredith Moench, whose encouragement and validation kept me on track; and to Nate Winters, who kept reminding me to be true to myself when I was tempted to do otherwise. I must also thank my parents, Raymond and Vivian Hixson, for their support of my continued education and their sincere belief in my abilities. I thank my husband, John, who is my best friend and closest ally, and my children, who have supported and respected my goals. IMPROVISATIONAL STRUCTURE Force requires opposition, embodies energy, and animates every aspect of our lives. For most of my life, I have been curious about the nature of force and how it affects life. Even in personal and emotional relationships, our lives are defined by how we deal with these forces. In my quest to make sense of the positive and negative effects of this energy on my life, I have studied religious theories, philosophical ideas, and treatises. But it wasn't until I started working with clay that I began exploring these ideas in an artistic environment. Clay is a wonderful material, always fragile: soft and plastic at one moment, hard and sharp the next. Its malleability records any impression applied to it. Clay is a perfect material to explore the energy created as opposing forces interact. My first year of graduate school was one of extremes. I built organic forms that were soft, rounded, abstract shapes. The surfaces were textured like wood, with veins and pods. I found the forms to be emotionally unsettling. The visceral, organic nature of the pieces seemed disorganized. With dissatisfaction for the organic form, I changed my approach. I made several minimal, industrial pieces. They had clean lines and sharp edges. I tried to make them with as little embellishment as possible. Again, I was uncomfortable with the results. Their sharp, clean, industrial lines seemed cold and impersonal. One day, in frustration, I picked up some scraps of clay that remained after building one of the industrial forms. I began layering, pinching, and pressing them together. The forms looked like a small gesture drawing: abstract, loose, full of energy. I ended up making four or five more of these gestural pieces before attempting to return to the more minimal forms. However, elements from the new experience kept creeping back into the forms. These new forms not only had strong industrial lines, but also were complemented by the warmth of fragments that embellished the surface. For the first time, I started to see the monumental power created through combining opposing forces. The energy that emerged in these studies was exciting. It was the basis for and spark that eventually led to my thesis exhibition. I should also note that guest artist Petris Martinsons from Riga, Latvia, validated my construction technique by using similar methods. He also assembled somewhat architectural forms from abstract textured slabs. The First Series In these early explorations, slabs of clay were highly textured and then cut into various shapes. Some pieces were cut into sharp, somewhat industrial forms. Others were more soft, plastic, and organic forms. The pieces were reassembled by overlapping, piercing, and weaving one to another. I was fascinated with the energy created as one fragment interacted with, and reacted to, another. My response was intuitive. The sculptural form, however, was secondary to this construction process. Gestures and shapes emerged in this additive process technique. An improvisational dialogue between fragments and form ensued. There were no preconceived ideas of how the overall form should resolve or conclude. The only commonality between these works occurred with the construction technique and the elements. They all began around a vessel-like center unintentionally creating a feeling of armor or protection. The second area of exploration was the actual visual energy created when opposing elements came together (i.e., yin/yang, masculine/feminine). I realized that my organic, soft, ruffled forms represented the feminine emotion; the more industrial, sharp, hard-edged forms appeared masculine. Coupling these opposing forces created a playful and energized seductive harmony. This issue of masculine-feminine relationships continued and continues to be an important part of my work. Technique The surface treatment of this series varied. The individual pieces, which I called "Scrap Work," "Electric Tux," and "High Maintenance," were all glazed with a transparent, glossy cone 10 glaze. "Scrap Work" (Print 1) was left with no further embellishment. "Electric Tux" (Print 2) was painted with yellow and black china paint and fired at cone 018. "High Maintenance" (Print 3) was also painted with china paint, with the addition of gold luster, and fired at cone 018. "Hand Fan" and "Yang/Yin" were both fired to a vitreous state. "Hand Fan" {Print 5) was painted with a black engobe and wiped back so the textured surface was accented. After being fired at cone 10, layers of china paint were applied. Each layer of color was fired in succession at cone 018. "Yang/Yin" (Print 4) began with an under painting of color then painted with various colored underglazes. The same process used with "Hand Fan" was now applied (layers of underglaze fired on one color at a time). Then, a final step was added with the addition of china paints and luster. "Getting Closer" and "Flamboyant Fool" were made out of a new clay body: a porcelain with paper pulp added. The fiber created a composite clay body with tremendous greenware strength. The clay became more porous when fired, but it left a textured surface that reminded me of watercolor paper. (See Appendix A for more information.) "Getting Closer" (Print 6) was painted with slip and wiped back, then layered with underglazes and finished with luster. "Flamboyant Fool" (Print 7) was glazed at the center with a glossy clear glaze and painted with china paint. The outside had numerous layers of underglaze and other dry glazes. Each application was wiped back, allowing some of the glaze under painting to come through. Much of the center cylinder was painted with a wax mixture, which left a soft satin patina when it was buffed. (See Appendix B for more information.) I finished by painting over the patina with oil paint to enliven the color. The Second Series In this series I dealt with several issues relating to visual communication and the sculptural form. First, I explored a literal structure that my fragments could move around and through. This literal structure created a stabilizing visual sphere. Philosophically, it became a metaphor for inner strength and the determination of the human spirit. The fragments became a metaphor for individual life experience. Another issue emerged: the improvisational dialogue between the greater form and its various elements. Increased scale required new clay bodies. The pieces became more vertical and more gestural. I also started to aggressively use the surface as canvas, exploring visual activity through various materials and vivid, active color. , Techniques "Renewal," "Triumph," and "Wired" were all made out of a porcelain clay body with paper pulp fiber added. The paper pulp clay mixture was stunning in the greenware state. But, as I had discovered in the first series, after firing the clay became porous and fragile. The long-term strength was not as good as I would have liked. These pieces were therefore only fired to cone 1. "Renewal" (Print 8) was painted with oil paint. Paint applied to a bisque surface soaks into the porous exterior. Color can be layered, thus creating a matte finish. "Triumph" (Print 9) was finished by using a combination of underglaze, luster, and oil paint. "Wired" (Print 10) has a surface created by using multiple glazes and luster. 5 "Perseverance" (Print 11) was built from a porcelain clay body with nylon fiber added for greenware strength. This piece was also bisque fired at cone 1 and, again, was not fired at any subsequent time hotter than cone 1. The nylon fiber burned out, but there seemed to be a little more bisque strength than was present after firing the clay body with paper pulp. The surface-finishing techniques used were multiple glazes, luster, and oil paint. The Third Series The dominant issue in this series was to devise more aggressive forms by employing new structural systems. The column around which the previous forms had developed was visually interfering with my emerging philosophical and emotional concerns. The human spirit wasn't something I could illustrate in positive space. Thus, a less tangible structure was devised, which was stronger in form and incorporated bold negative space. My pieces more than doubled in size. To accommodate this scale, I changed the claybody from a porcelain to a white stoneware with more grog (glacier white). I might note that as pieces increased in size so did fragility. I needed help lifting these large, heavy, yet fragile forms. I asked friends to help me load and unload the kiln. I learned quickly that if men were helping, my pieces experienced some degree of breakage. After a couple of accidents, I resolved to ask another woman to help along with the men. The result was successful. I think it had something to do with the balance between estrogen and testosterone. When two women and two men worked together the masculine energy was off-set. This curious interaction of opposing forces exemplifies and parallels those issues and ideas I explore in my work. Technique This series was largely constructed using half of a 14-inch D.P.V.C. pipe as either a press mold or drape mold. The surfaces of "Collective Consciousness" (Print 12) and "Altered States" (Print 13) were painted with oil paint. "Dialogue" (Print 14) was glazed with cone 04 glazes. First an under painting using underglaze was applied to the center surface of the cylinder form. The outside was stained with black slip. The center was then reglazed with a moss-like glaze designed to crawl when fired. ■ "Spirit House" (Print 15) was airbrushed with slip. The outside was wiped back to accent the surface texture. Hand-built surface pieces were underglazed, glazed, and finally fired. "Catalyst" (Print 16) was the final piece in this series. A combination of techniques used previously were incorporated: cone 04 glaze, metallic luster, hot-wax pigments, and oil paint. LIST OF PRINTS 9 1. Scrap Work Porcelain 9" x 13" 2. Electric Tux Porcelain 10" x 13" 3. High Maintenance Porcelain 12" x 10" 4. Hand Fan Porcelain 5" x 14" 5. Yang/Yin Porcelain 9" x 14" 6. Getting Closer Porcelain with Paper Pulp 13" x 15" 7. Flamboyant Fool Porcelain with Paper Pulp 12" x 16" 8. Renewal Porcelain with Paper Pulp 12" x 16" 9. Triumph Porcelain with Paper Pulp 25" x 22" x 36" 10. Wired Porcelain with Paper Pulp 16" x 14" x 31" 11. Perseverance Porcelain with Fiber 18" x 11" x 41" 12. Collective Consciousness Stoneware 36" x 22" x 22" 13. Altered States Stoneware 36" x 22" x 23" 14. Dialogue Stoneware 20" x 16.5" x 35" 15. Spirit House Stoneware 17" x 16" 10 16. Catalyst Stoneware 26" x 25" x 43" PRINTS Print 1 Scrap Work Porcelain 13 Print 2 Electric Tux Porcelain 14 Print 3 High Maintenance Porcelain 15 Print 4 Hand Fan Porcelain 16 Print 5 Yang/Yin Porcelain 17 Print 6 Getting Closer Porcelain with Paper Pulp 18 Flamboyant Fool Porcelain with Paper Pulp 19 Renewal Porcelain with Paper Pulp 20 Print 9 Triumph Porcelain with Paper Pulp 21 Print 10 Wired Porcelain with Paper Pulp 22 ■«#B V - " " " " Print 11 Perseverance Porcelain with Fiber 23 Print 12 Collective Consciousness Stoneware 24 Print 13 Altered States Stoneware 25 Print 14 Dialogue Stoneware 26 Print 15 Spirit House Stoneware 27 Print 16 Catalyst Stoneware APPENDIX A RECIPE FOR PAPERCLAY The recipe for paperclay is quoted verbatim for clarity: Before paper can be added to clay, it must be made into a pulp. Start with mechanically shredded paper (available free from many offices) or hand-torn scraps. Cover with hot water and soak; then homogenize with a glaze blunger powered by a heavy-duty drill. Add a few drops of bleach to retard mildew and bacteria growth. When shreds/scraps have been reduced to pulp and the print is no longer legible, remove excess water by pouring the slurry over a large-mesh screen. After pressing and squeezing out as much water as possible, store the pulp in an airtight plastic bag - but only for a short time, preferably less than two weeks. Select an appropriate clay body, then prepare a batch of well-blended slip. Add pulp (anywhere from 20% to 50% by volume), using fingers to separate clumps and blunge. As the paperclay dries to desired consistency, stir with a stick or by hand occasionally. Then pour paperclay onto a plaster bat and compress with a rubber rib. The slab can be peeled off when sufficiently dry or another layer of paperclay can be added at anytime - while the slab is wet, leather hard or even bone dry - with little or no cracking. Should cracking occur, it can usually be repaired with more paperclay slip. * 29 4 ^Rosette Gault (1992), Amazing Paperclay, Ceramics Monthly (June/July/August 1992): 98. APPENDIX B RECIPE FOR PATINA FINISH For clarity, the recipe for patina finish is quoted directly: The procedure involves heating (in the kiln) the piece to be patinated to a temperature that will still allow for handling. It must be evenly heated. The piece must be sufficiently porous to absorb the patina. For example, a stoneware that vitrifies at Cone 10 can be fired to Cone 6 for an entirely satisfactory patina, or only to Cone 4 for a deeper one. The necessary materials and equipment include beeswax, paraffin, linseed oil, turpentine, common liquid roofing tar (alternatives include pigment or potentially toxic aniline dye), a hot plate, a good protective respirator with filters and several brushes. Melt 1/4 pound beeswax and lh tablespoon paraffin on the hot plate. Remove and add 1 cup linseed oil, 2 cups turpentine, and a few drops to no more than xh teaspoon tar (or you can substitute pigments or animal dyes in like amounts). Mix the ingredients well, then brush on evenly, applying more where darker color is desired; stop brushing when the piece is too cool to absorb patina. Allow to dry 24 hours and buff to a velvety sheen.^ b ^Siglinda Scarpa (1992), Patina finish, Ceramics Monthly, April, 38. REFERENCES Gault, Rosette (1992). Amazing paperclay. Ceramics Monthly, June/July/August, 21-22. Scarpa, Siglinda (1992). Patina finish. Ceramics Monthly, April, 31-33.