Pottery and other ceramic objects have been an important part of human culture for thousands of years. Clay, formed into huge pottery jars, allowed for the keeping and transporting of such important materials as olive oil, the engine of the early Mediterranean economy. Ceramic materials are still opening vistas for us today. For example, it is the highly specialized ceramic tiles which cover the space shuttles which allow them to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere again and again.
What Are Ceramics?
Ceramic materials are those objects formed in clay which have undergone chemical and molecular changes through the firing process. Ceramics include pots, sculptures made of fired clay, and many objects made from specialized clays for industrial use. A ceramist is a person who works with any form of ceramic materials. Generally speaking, someone using that term is referring either to studio ceramics (the art and craft of working with clay either as pottery or as a sculpting medium) or is working with industrial, highly refractory ceramic materials.
What Is Pottery?
Pottery is generally considered to be containers made from clay. "Pot" is a term used for any number of container forms. Both words derive from the Old English root potian, which meant to push. When we consider the pushing the potter does as they center and throw the clay on the wheel, it is easy to see how the process got its name.
In industrialized countries, modern pottery can be classified two ways. There is commercial pottery or ceramics which is mass produced in factories, and there is studio pottery which is produced by craftsmen through direct interaction with the clay. Studio pottery is a craft; however, pots are often created less for pure functionality as much as they are for their artistry.
Studio Pottery
Studio pottery (studio ceramics) can be quite diverse. Production potters are most active in making large quantities of ceramic wares such as plates, platters, dishes, bowls, and so on. Production potters can sit down with a hundred pounds of clay and throw the same form all day. The technique of throwing off the mound is often employed by production potters because it reduces time spent centering the clay and moving bats (the throwing surface) on and off the wheel head.
Other studio potters are more concerned with creating forms for their uniqueness and beauty. These "art" pieces might still retain full functionality, or they may move toward being more sculptural.
Clay as a Sculpting Medium
There doesn't seem to be a singular term for those who work with clay for its sculptural qualities. Some of these clay workers consider themselves studio potters; others refer to themselves as sculptors.
It appears that it depends on their educational and experiential background. If someone was first trained primarily as a studio potter, that is the term most likely to be used. If a person's initial training was in sculpture, perhaps working with wood, stone, or metals as well as with clay, then they are most likely to view themselves as a sculptor.
Whichever avenue a person comes through and whichever term they use, clay is a wonderful sculpting medium with innumerable avenues of expression for the artist-craftsman to explore.
