Jeri Au - Tibetan Teapot II
Curriculum Connections: Fine Arts K-4: A.1.1, A.1.9, A.3.9; 5-8: A.1.10, A.1.18,A.3.10, A.3.12, A.3.15; 9-12: A.1.28
Lesson Objective: students will learn to distinguish functional and aesthetic properties of a work of art.
Ceramics are a unique and important part of humanity's artistic and technological past. The use of pottery goes so far back that its origins are obscured in prehistory. In all cultures around the world humans have used pottery to make a variety of beautiful as well as functional items. People discovered that clay, readily available along riverbanks or under topsoil, could be formed into vessels. Once the clay dried, it would retain its shape. Baking the clay resulted in even more sturdy and durable vessels. The term "ceramic" refers specifically to the non-reversible change that occurs when clay is heated past 500 degrees. The discovery of glazes, the addition of substances to the surface of pots making them waterproof, made ceramics an indispensable part of human culture.
Jeri Au's Tibetan Teapot II is heavily influenced by the history of Chinese ceramics, which developed to high levels of sophistication over a thousand years ago.
- Have students locate China and Tibet on a globe or map of the world and investigate the history of the troubled relationship between these two nations.
When looking at three dimensional art there are many aspects to consider. Au's piece is a teapot, so some of its shape is determined by the functional needs of the object. Some aspects of its shape are determined by aesthetic concerns.
Have students answer the following questions:
- What parts of the teapot are functional?
- What parts are aesthetic?
In looking at aesthetics with three-dimensional art, both the positive and negative space is important. Positive space is the area taken up by the material of the piece. Negative space is the area, or areas, left.
- Where is the negative space in the Teapot?
- Why do you think the artist chose to include these areas of negative space?
Curriculum Connections: K-4: A.1.4, A.1.9; 5-8: A.1.12, A.3.10, A.3.12; 9-12: A.1.23,A.1.28, A.3.21
Lesson Objective: students will learn how different cultures have made and used ceramics.
Assign students to research and report on the uses and styles of ceramics of one of the following cultures:
Native American - Pueblos of the southwest; Mississippian Culture of the southeast
Egyptian
Mesopotamian
Celtic
African
Chinese
Japanese
Mayan
Visit http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/lessons.cfm?DocID=290 for lessons on the history and science of ceramics.
Further Reading
Lazo, Caroline. The Terra Cotta Army of Emperor Qin. New York: Macmillan, 1993. An account for children of the life and accomplishments of Emperor Qin and the discovery of the 7500 terra cotta statues buried in his tomb.
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