#capstone process binder

Purpose/Mission Statement: I will be conducting a research art project on the history and evolution of ancient Greek pottery from the years 1000-300 B.C.E. Using this research I will create replica ancient Greek pots that display the style and technique that was used back in history.

Learning Objectives:

I will research and learn about the technique, style, and design of ancient Greek pottery from 1000-300 B.C.E. and group it into major categories.

I will create drawings and sketches that illustrate the process of designing and creating the Greek pots.

I will enhance my current ceramics skills by creating 6 (or more) models of Greek pots using some pottery techniques that would have been done back then.

Workshop Process:

I will be conducting research on the Protogeometric, Geometric, Orientalizing, Red-figure, Black-figure, and White Ground styles of ancient Greek pottery. I will learn the unique characteristics of the styles and the process by which they would have been made. I will then throw modern day pots that will embody the aspects of the different styles. I will be doing pencil sketches to plan out the pottery, and then I will make the models out of clay using various ceramics tools. My work will be displayed with descriptions and some of the planning illustrations to show the process.

My planning work will be documented through sketches and descriptions in my process binder. I will also photographically document the process of making the pottery at different stages.

Resources:

Cartwright, Mark. "Greek Pottery." Ancient History Encyclopedia. N.p., 12 Jan. 2013. Web. 24 Jan. 2017. <https://www.ancient.eu/Greek_Pottery/>.

Cook, Robert Manuel. Greek Painted Pottery. 3rd ed. London: Routledge, 1997. Print.

Cook, Robert Manuel, and Pierre Dupont. East Greek Pottery. London: Routledge, 1998. Print.

Grace, Virginia. “Standard Pottery Containers of the Ancient Greek World.” Hesperia Supplements, vol. 8, 1949, pp. 175–456. www.jstor.org/stable/1353892.

Sparkes, Brian A. Greek pottery: an introduction. Manchester: Manchester U Press, 1991. Print.

Sparkes, Brian A. The red and the black: studies in Greek pottery. London: Routledge, 1996. Print.

Walters, H. B., and Samuel Birch. History of Ancient Pottery: Greek, Etruscan, and Roman. Vol. 2. London: J. Murray, 1905. Print.

Project Timeline: Include dates and deadlines set by the course syllabus, as well as self-imposed benchmarks for what you would like to have done at certain points in the semester.

2/16 – Have research complete and begin first pot

2/23 & 3/2 – First look 2-minute presentation. Have at least 2 pots started.

Spring Break – Have at least 4 pots finished.

4/6 & 4/13 – Second look 2-minute presentation. By end of 4/13 have all pots finished.

4/21 – Showcase poster due

4/29 – ArtsFest

White Ground Lekythos

This style was the latest of the styles I researched. It persisted through the end of the time period I worked with. White-ground style was an innovative adaptation to red and black-figure. The pot was painted white and black, and the figure was carved out to appear red on the white background. Other colors were also sometimes added to the white, which provided a neutral colored canvas. I attempted to make a white-ground lekythos, which was a small pitcher for oils (most usually olive oil or expensive scented oils).

Black Figure Amphora

This was the rise on the type of design that comes to mind when one thinks of ancient Greek pottery. It consisted of red clay pots painted mostly black, with a large section left unpainted for a scene. The scenes would be painted on the red background of the clay, with the figures painted in black. These pots had minimal other designs, with most attention focused on the main scene. I attempted to make a black figure amphora, which was a vessel for storing wine.

Orientalizing Oinochoe

For this style I’m going to summarize all my information into one post. I have already covered that an oinochoe is a pitcher for pouring wine. At the time the orientalizing style originated, Greeks were beginning to expand their trade South and East. These new cultures influenced their art, especially Egypt and Assyria (in Mesopotamia). Their pottery took on a more Egyptian look, featuring palmettes, lions, and sphinxes. The shape of their pottery also diverged from the norm, with animal heads replacing the spouts of pots. I attempted to make an orientalizing style oinochoe with a lions head (pictured above).