Reading 6

Tanya Harrod. “Studios, Academies and Workshops: Ceramic Education from the Mid-Nineteenth Century to World War II” (1999).  Garth Clark, ed. Ceramic Millennium. 2006. pp. 259-276

Harrod explains the history how pottery as craft evolved into fine art in UK and US. Facing the crisis in fine art during the 19th century, the “intelligent artists” of the Art and Craft movement and the Avant-garde showed anti-academy approach questioning the skills taught by the academies through systematic study of casts and copy. They took new media and unfamiliar methods for experimentation such as painting on objects of everyday use including ceramics. Pursuing self-education, they used the workshop and studio as the ideal site of learning and considered clay as a resolution for other artistic problems.

Even though originally ceramics program in Europe focus on training students to design for industry, “Murray promoted the status of studio pottery as an area of experimental fine art by keeping technical instruction to the minimum.” But Leach felt art schools were still dismissive while Cardew set a social value on teaching pottery.

Ceramics in US was different from the developments in Britain because of highly professional women potters and detachment from European neo-orientalism. The ideological antipathy to the academy or to industry was not found either. However, education at Alfred and Cranbrook suggests the fragile nature of the crafts (ceramics) with highly gendered courses and emphasis on design, architecture, painting and sculpture.

Looking back over my experience that I started pottery at a community studio and was inspired by Sanam’s workshop there, it is interesting to read the history of ceramics education and its difference between Europe and US. Through CSU programs, I have learned on material and process that the community programs are lacking. The fine art courses gave me chances to development my views on clay works as fine art. But it is also true I am still uncertain about ceramics identity. Harrod’s questions on ceramic education might be still ongoing.