Ceramic Arts Commons^™

Sobremesa: The Time Spent Savoring Food And Friendship, Rosa V. Salas Gonzalez

Honors Theses

Sobremesa is the culmination of five different ceramic sets handcrafted and uniquely made as a way to enhance the experience of eating and sharing food. This work honors the Latino and Hispanic tradition of Sobremesa, which is the time we spend sharing special moments with friends and family after eating. I explore the relevance of sharing meals as a member of a Venezuelan family and how these memories of my childhood before moving away to another country relates to the way in which I approach the creation of my functional vessel’s aesthetic and conceptual background.

The pieces that make up …

Breath: Capturing Energetic Forms In Pottery, Raymond Brown

Honors Theses

As a Bachelor of Fine Arts candidate with an emphasis in Ceramics, the culmination of my undergraduate education was a formal showing of my work at the Gallery 130 in Meek Hall at The University of Mississippi, Oxford Campus from April 1, 2019 to April 5, 2019. I chose to make pieces of functional, utilitarian pottery with the intent of providing the user with an entrance into a memorable and contemplative experience. Taking influence from historical slipware mark-making - especially German Pennsylvanian Tulipware, I work to craft pieces that are inviting, generous, and strong. Both my show and written thesis …

Impulsion, Nicholas Meyer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The nut, bolt, and thread are symbols of order in my work. They represent a memory trace of my time growing up in Iowa and my connection to working on the family farm. These objects have the potential to exhibit elements of both simplicity and complexity, expressed through patterns and harmony, and the repetition of form, line, color, space, presentation, and ultimately, their relation to you the viewer. With this body of work, I intend to create metaphors relating to connections people have to one another, as individuals, society and ultimately as a reflection of self. The act of grouping, …

Interwoven, Preston Tolbert

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

I am regularly amazed by the power of artifacts. Objects can translate intent, skill, function, place, and time, causing us to reflect upon the maker and past users. By incorporating basketry patterns on the surface of my pots, I am creating a connection to my heritage. My family made baskets back many generations. The patterns are incomplete and fade as they weave around the forms. This reflects the nature of objects that have been used to the point of collapse. We live in a society driven by partial consumption and indiscriminant disposal. When something exhibits wear, we get a new …

Visual Phallacies, John Howard Cummings

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Roland Barthes wrote that only after removing all of the author's intentions and traces can a work of art truly be perceived by viewers fairly (Barthes). A viewer's perception of the world is influenced by his or her individual subjective history, which is the product of his or her own experiences. But as the author of ceramic work, my influence is ever-present. Clay records every push, pull, spank, squeeze, and poke. It fully records its physical history and as well as my actions upon it. This thesis exhibition asks the question: Can a viewer de-contextualize familiar-but-contentious subject matter and be …

Passing Time, Bryan Horn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In today’s fast paced world based around expedience and convenience, we often find ourselves lost in the hustle and bustle of daily life. While keeping up with our busy schedules it is hard to find those moments of pause in which we can regain our composure. The ceramic vessels in Passing Time are about those moments in between, like the space between musical notes they are essential to our understanding and being. This body of work represents the building and maintaining of relationships, the welcoming space of home and establishing invitation through the act of giving and sharing. I use …

Offerings, Norma Acord

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As people we learn through observation. I observed at a young age the importance of using food as a means of celebration, gatherings, and comfort. At a young age, I saw that roles were given to the family members: my grandmother and mother were accepting of their roles as providers of food and my grandfather and father accepted their roles as providing through work. I made a conscious decision about the role I wanted to play. The role of providing through food and serving was more appealing to me. I have a lot of the same views on domesticity as …

Memory Scapes, Michael Lee Mccarty

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Through use, pots can become an intimate part of daily ritual, special celebrations, or moments of stillness. Not only can they can act as vehicles that connect the user to the greater meanings of life, but they do so "under the radar," below conscious awareness. They perform their task, waiting to be noticed and enrich their user's life. I make pots in an attempt to connect to others through quiet, useful forms with beautiful, subdued surfaces. Part of my goal in making pots is to elevate moments of daily life, to augment the time spent consuming coffee, eating, or having …