1
AN EVOLVING STRUGGLE
An Evolving Struggle: The Exploration of the Effect of Struggle
On the Human Condition through the Ceramic Medium
Emily E. Irvin
The Ohio State University
Author Note
Emily E. Irvin, Department of Art with a concentration in ceramics, the Ohio State
University.
This research was supported in part by the arts and sciences undergraduate research grant.
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Emily E. Irvin.
Contact: Irvin.83@osu.edu
2
AN EVOLVING STRUGGLE
Abstract
This paper systematically explores the parallel relationships between struggles of the human
condition and cyclical, ceramic processes of molding and sculpting parts of my body.
Historically, ceramics has been a discipline that is defined by the cyclical exploration of process
and the transformation of material in regard to time and space. Research utilized this repetitive
approach to reveal and illuminate parallels between the creation of ceramic multiples and my
understanding of the human condition. The use of multiplicity, form, and color has further
developed understanding between the nuance of functional and sculptural forms. Furthermore,
the interaction with the surface and alteration of it through the firing process was important in
conveying the accumulative, as well as cyclical process of experiencing struggle. These concepts
have worked together to yield compositions that are readily accessible in terms of the emotive
energy that reveals a sense of wholeness and peace, even though individual components of the
composition were not necessarily modeled with this same energy.
3
AN EVOLVING STRUGGLE
An Evolving Struggle: The Exploration of the Effect of Struggle
On the Human Condition through the Ceramic Medium
The way in which people are born and evolve has become a science, and has made the
most advances through developmental psychology. Developmental psychology has analyzed the
developmental process from how a fetus integrates movement of the mother into language, to
how punishment and disciple affects behavior, and even how dating too early can cause life-long
relationship complications. One aspect these studies have in common is that they are analyzing
how experiences, especially cyclical, reoccurring experiences, impacts developing adolescents
into adulthood. The primary intention of this research is to analyze these common themes and
respond to the conclusions through the ceramic medium and my personal experiences with the
cyclical occurrence of struggle.
Method
The importance of creating a series of molds and sculpting parts of my own body was
derived from the thesis statement that declared the intention of exploring the impact of struggle
on the human condition. Research was conducted from the deep analysis of myself in order to
ensure that the entire extent of an experience could be analyzed.
Developing molds is an involved process of evaluating form, responding to procedures,
and having a willingness to adjust one’s steps. When research was initiated with the process of
casting parts of my body, it was concluded that multi-part plaster molds and multi-part urethane
press molds were most appropriate. As casting slip was poured into the molds, the importance of
color was addressed.
4
AN EVOLVING STRUGGLE
Various colors of clay, which were varied shades of red, white to buff, and brown to
black, were tested at various temperatures. Temperatures were chosen based on large scale of my
work, which meant clay recipes had to be adjusted to control how the clay body would deform
when fired. Testing the deformation of the various clay bodies lead to the conclusion that color
testing could only occur between cone 04 and cone 2.
Testing of colored clays informed the types of complementary glazes that would be
possible to achieve in terms of color, opacity, and stability. Initially, particular areas were not to
be glazed so an adornment of materiality would take place and would be juxtaposed next to areas
with intense moments of red color and lusters. Red was chosen because it is known to be a
grounding color, which has a particular importance in my yoga practice. However, red
throughout nature is used for asposematism and contrasts other colors to send warning messages
to predators. The use of lusters is similar in spirituality, generally symbolizing birth or death,
and in nature. For instance, manganese dioxide was used to create bronze luster and is toxic. The
significance of these colors was considered in order to appropriately convey my intention of
creating a final composition. However, the sheen and natural inconsistencies of the glazes were
distracting from the forms. Thus, other methods of surface treatment and application were
considered. Glaze recipes that were tested are listed as recipes 1 and 2 in the Appendix.
Experiences are defined by encounters and observation of facts or events, and are
additions to a beginning form. Additionally, struggles are defined as making forceful or violent
efforts to get free of restrain or constriction. In other words, struggles are experiences and
additions that cause unrest to a form, which equally and oppositely engages a response in order
to achieve homeostasis. This information informed that surface application had to be executed as
an addition to the original form and have moments where the original form is breaking the
through the addition.
5
AN EVOLVING STRUGGLE
These considerations led to the discovery of bloating, which is caused by gases that are
generated from carbon and sulfur in clay. Organic materials that contain carbon and sulfur settle
in the clay as part of the natural process of weathering and depository of clay. When these
organic materials reach temperatures ranging from 1290 to 1650 degree Fahrenheit, they
combine with oxygen, form gases, escape the clay body through the pores, and exhaust from the
kiln. Under ideal conditions, all of the organics will be expelled from the clay through this
process during the bisque firing. However, gases can be trapped when the bisque firing occurs
too quickly, or when oxygen during a bisque is poor. Once the organics have been left in the
body, they are likely to bloat in the glaze firing. These responses increase in iron bearing clays,
especially in blackbird or barnard. The easiest type of firing to produce bloating is a cone 10
reduction firing. However, practicality for this experimentation required a cone 6 oxidation
firing. Therefore, an addition of cryolite, which produces sulfur and fluorine gases, was chosen
to encourage bloating.
In order to maintain color consistencies, experimentation of bloating clay began with a
black to brown colored stoneware, buff colored stoneware, and porcelain. Experimentation with
the black to brown colored stoneware tested various amounts of Lizella and Blackbird, which
were altered to test the interaction of strength and color. Silicon carbide is a compound used in
producing lava glazes, and was added in small amounts to test if its interaction within a clay
body would produce similar results. Cryolite was added in order to create a reduction reaction
within the clay body in an oxidation firing and promote bloating. Lastly, various amount of
nephaline syenite, a sodium feldspar generally used at lower temperatures, was compared with
amounts of custer feldspar, which is a potassium feldspar generally used at higher temperatures,
and talc, which is a low temperature flux. Experimentation of the buff stoneware tested the
effects of goldart, which is common clay that is high in sulfur and organic compounds. Additions
6
AN EVOLVING STRUGGLE
of silicon carbide, cryolite, nephaline syenite, and custer feldspar were also tested. Testing
porcelain involved additions of nephaline syenite, custer feldspar, and increased amounts of
OM4, which is a ball clay that contains high amounts of sulfur.
The first iteration of testing confirmed that the easiest method to obtain significant
amounts of bloating was to develop a black to brown stoneware recipe. Porcelain also yielded
bloating in unreliable tendencies. Therefore, the second iteration consisted of testing four
different clay bodies prone to bloating for high plasticity, low shrinkage, and color. High
plasticity was particularly important for the opportunity to create slip or slip casting bodies. The
second iteration yielded trends that would create bloating. For example, increased amounts of
cryolite and iron produced more bloating. Additionally, OM4 only increased plasticity and had
no visible affect on bloating. Therefore, strategies of adding OM4 for desired plasticity, while
maintaining the highest amounts of cryolite and blackbird as possible were enacted. The third
iteration also tested proportions of fluxes, which lowered the vitrification point and encouraged
bloating. Ferro frit 3110 was compared because it was a flux that was high in sodium, iron, and
boron. However, it did have lower silica to alumina ratios, lower plasticity, and significantly
lightened the color of the clay body. Ferro frit 3134 was compared because it was a flux that was
higher in boron, sodium, and calcium, and did not have an affect on clay body color. Amounts of
custer feldspar were also tested since these fluxes affectively altered the vitrification point while
not sacrificing plasticity. Additions of custer feldspar reduced the overall iron content and
increased the overall silica to alumina ratio, which reduced bloating. Results yielded the best
approach to create a cone 6 bloating clay body were to vary amounts of both ferro frit 3134 and
custer feldspar. In order to maintain appropriate silica to alumina ratios, flint was added to the
recipes. Even though there was previous success in porcelain bloating, testing was discontinued
during this iteration due to inconsistencies, intense color changes, and weak bloating matrix. The
7
AN EVOLVING STRUGGLE
fourth iteration was based on color and bloating matrix strength. Various ratios of flux were
tested in order to lower vitrification enough to create the most intense bloating results for a selfsupporting clay body, and the most intense non self-supporting clay body that could be used as
slip for surface application. Analysis of the fourth iteration clay bodies showed that bloating clay
bodies all had more than 15% of iron, amounts of sodium over 2%, and a silica to alumina ratio
greater than 5. The original brown to black stoneware had only 13% iron and less than 1% of
other oxides excluding potassium, alumina, and silica. The original recipe also had a higher
vitrification point and lower silica to alumina ratio. The final iterations produced two final
recipes based on whether they were self-supporting or non self-supporting and were chosen on
grounds of color, bloating matrix strength, and cost. Recipes required the richest and darkest
color, with the most intense and strong bloating matrix, and with the lowest cost. Final tests of
the clay bodies were also conducted by adding .05% Daravan 7 and 36% water to the dry clay
mix in order to create slip cast bodies. Tests maintained an ideal specific gravity of 1.7. This
process and final results are recorded on pages 15 through 32 in the appendix.
The next segment of experimentation was grounded in the aspect of application, which is
displayed in photographs 21 through 32 in the appendix. Application testing was performed on a
series of cone 6 porcelain slip-casted cups. The first application involved dipping a cup into the
non self-supporting bloating slip. The second application involved slip trailing the non selfsupporting bloating slip on top of the cup. Next, the same cup was dipped in non self-supporting
bloating slip, and then the same slip was slip-trailed on top of it to create layers of pattern and
texture. Another application entailed pouring a non self-supporting bloating slip-cast body into a
mold, cutting out patterns, and pouring the cone 6 porcelain in the mold after the previous layer
was leather hard. Applications were also tested using the self-supporting slip cast body, and sliptrailing and dipping layers of non self-supporting bloating slip on top. A different application
8
AN EVOLVING STRUGGLE
involved creating porcelain cups, dipping fabric into the same porcelain, applying the fabric to
the cups, and then slip-trailing designs on top with the non-self supporting bloating slip. Glaze
application over the bloating clay was also successful, and did not affect the intensity of bloating.
In fact, glazing the bloating clay highlighted the raised matrix. Lastly, a series of tests were
conducted to show the results of marbling the bloating clay with red and brown stoneware and
compared techniques of throwing and creating slabs. It is important to note that varying
shrinkage rates of the various types of clay had no visible impact on finished tests, which is
perhaps attributed to the expansion ability of the bloating clay.
Experimentation of application informed specific methods that were most consistent with
the previously explained definitions of experience and struggle. Therefore, the chosen techniques
were the slab marbling and the layering of slip trailed designs with the non self-supporting
bloating slip. Slab marbling was done with the non self-supporting bloating clay in combination
with the white or red clay body, which provided a more interesting contrast than when marbled
with the brown to black stoneware. In order to increase the dynamics of the latter technique, a
sgraffito technique was used to respond to the slip trailed designs. Post firing, the sgraffito
revealed a complementary amount of clay body beneath the surface of the body and emphasized
the raised designs and bloating matrix. The results of this modified technique is shown in
Photograph 39 in the Appendix.
The next challenge was to test the bloating clay at the temperatures required for firing the
large sculptural forms (cone 04 to 2). Bloating of the cone 6 bloating clay did occur between
cone 02 and 2, but the clay only swelled and did not create a bubbling matrix. However, the
swelling did interestingly alter the form. Therefore, it was decided to coat the forms with the
cone 6 bloating slip before decorating it with bloating clay that had a lower vitrification point
and created a bubbling matrix. In order to create clay that created a bubbling matrix between
9
AN EVOLVING STRUGGLE
cone 04 and 2, the vitrification point was lowered by replacing custer feldspar with talc, a lower
temperature flux, and increasing proportions of blackbird. This recipe is listed as Table 24 in the
appendix.
The next series of tests created buff stoneware and red earthenware that could be fired
between cone 04 and 2. The original buff stoneware recipe (Table 25 in the appendix) actually
vitrified at cone 9, and contained nylon fiber instead of grog. Both aspects were not ideal since
the higher firing temperature created a chalky, unappealing white color, and the nylon was
difficult to work with. Therefore, increased amounts of talc were added to lower the vitrification
point; hawthorn fire clay was added to add tooth, color, and replace the more expensive
molochite; and 15% of various types of grog were added to replace the nylon fiber. The modified
recipe is listed as Table 29 in the appendix. The original red colored stoneware (Table 27 in the
appendix) actually vitrified at cone 13 and had a dark unappealing dull red color. Therefore, talc
was added to reduce the vitrification point; Lizella was added to provide strength, tooth, and
brighten the color; Yellow Banks ball clay replaced OM4 to brighten the color and lower the
vitrification point; flint was removed to lower vitrification point; bentonite was added to increase
plasticity; and various types of grog were added to provide strength and promote drying. The
modified recipe is listed as Table 31 in the appendix.
As the firing process commenced the realization unfolded that the casts of my body
would not be life size, but would be 10% less than life size because of the clay shrinkage rate.
Furthermore, the large size of the casts made them susceptible to slumping and warping during
the firing. Therefore, it was decided to coil build and sculpt parts of my body to account for
shrinkage and provide internal supports to prevent slumping and warping. Coil building would
also provide additional opportunities to compress in order to prevent cracking. Extra support was
also important for transport and loading into the kiln. Once the figure was loaded into the kiln, a
10
AN EVOLVING STRUGGLE
firing schedule was designed specifically for the large sculptural piece, and is listed as Table 33
in the appendix. The firing schedule has a 10 hour pre heat at the boiling temperature of water in
order to prevent rapid evaporation of chemical water and explosion, a 2 hour hold at quartz
conversion for similar reasons, then a fast ramp to cone 2 to encourage bloating, and a slow
cooling to prevent thermal shock and cracking. At cone 2, the shrinkage of the red supporting
stoneware and both of the bloating clays was 11%, which is less than porcelain. Additionally,
water absorption of the bloating clays was 1.24%, which is less than average for dark mid-range
clay bodies, which could be from the fluxing out of materials. The results of this firing are found
in the Appendix on page 44.
Although there were many successful aspects to firing an entire, life size human body, the
form strayed from the intention of this research. The complexity of the surface was too
distracting, and the posture and completeness of the form conveyed resolution opposed to an
ongoing struggle. Therefore, I returned to molding parts of my body and exploring how those
parts could interact with each other to convey what the life size figure lacked. Results of this
experimentation are found in the Appendix as Photograph 43.
The final pieces of this research began with the creation of a one-part plaster positive of
my back, which acted as a slab in order to build on top of. My back was chosen because of the
physical struggles I have experienced with this part of my body, and a slab was created because
of the importance of form opposed to details of flesh. After the back pieces were created, they
were cut and assembled to create various shapes that reflected their organic shapes. The final
pieces were made of red earthenware and reduction fired for rich lustered surface and moments
of bloating integrated throughout the form (produced with the iron the red clay body). To
complement the clay body, various significant areas of the finished pieces were painted orange
and a clear glaze was sprayed on top in order to create the previously discussed juxtaposition.
11
AN EVOLVING STRUGGLE
Fired pieces were paired and assembled according to the interactions of form. Transitional parts
of the completed pieces were made with supporting pillows, and were sewed specifically in
response to the shapes the forms created. Results are listed as Photographs 44 through 48 in the
Appendix.
Discussion
Purpose of experimentation dealt with how the ceramic medium can explore how cyclical
experiences shape the human condition. This information was conveyed through molding parts
of my body and assembling them in various orientations. Initially, these concepts were explored
through the art of contortion. Contortion and abstract manipulation of the body became a
metaphor for how the body processes and responds to struggle. However, I came to the
conclusion that contortion is actually a process that requires consistent resolution and
equilibrium of mind and body, which means it is impossible to use this type of display to convey
a sense of struggle. The ability of the body to produce resolve did reveal the role of nature versus
nurture in individual responses to struggle.
Further exploration of these concepts revealed that my prime motivation for
experimentation of this topic wasn’t to convey my experiences as much as it was to understand
the human condition and then respond to my understanding by presenting solutions to struggle.
Similarly to contortion, the body is always searching for a state of homeostasis and balance.
Solution is not an erasure or disillusionment of the past, but simply a resolution and return to
balance. Thus, the initial human response to struggle and imbalance is to produce empathy and
comfort.
Comfort became the solution to the imbalance that struggle produced and the outside
interrupting force to the cyclical patterns of struggle. The creation of pillows for the articulating
12
AN EVOLVING STRUGGLE
body parts provided the comforting solution and interruption of form. However, it additionally
introduced the concept of compression and how the “struggling” forms responded to additional
components. Articulation with the comforting elements revealed that compression is a function
of time and gravity in nature. However, in terms of nurture there are many variables that add into
the equation. How the forms compressed against the pillows was the impact of time and gravity,
and the subtleties and differences of the molded forms along with my manipulation of them also
impacted rate and type of compression.
Additional important aspects of consideration were color and surface. Although the
tactile sensation of the bloating clay surface treatments provided a way to display the direct
effects of struggle, it distracted from the smooth flesh like surface of the final iterations, listed as
Photographs 44 though 48 in the Appendix. It also did not make sense that the distorted surface
would remain after resolution occurred. However, subtle bloating moments of the red
earthenware provided the illusion of the remains of struggle and to prevent disillusionment from
the past. The introduction of the smooth, sheen of the color orange that was juxtaposed against
the earthy matte surface of the raw clay supported this concept of resolution since the color
orange is known to represent healing in spiritual practices, such as yoga. Orange also
complemented the dark cool colors of the pillow and clay body to add to the overall balance of
the compositions that were created to convey the sensitivity of homeostasis.
Conclusion
Understanding the extent to which struggles of the human condition could be explored
through the ceramic medium centered on the transformation of material in regard to time and
space. Transformation was explained through the natural and physical manipulations of multiples
of a form. This revealed that understanding these concepts could be done through exploring
13
AN EVOLVING STRUGGLE
nature versus nurture in terms of compression as a function of time and gravity in regard to
nature and additional outside variables in regard to nurture.