SCULPTURE

Reversible Organic Ceramics with Elsa Sahal

Instructor: Elsa Sahal

July 1 - July 15

MORNING

Making a hollow piece (a technique we will demonstrate in the workshop's introduction) involves considering the interior as well as the exterior of the form. In the Japanese ceramic tradition, emptiness is constitutive; it is a material with which the ceramist works. What if the boundaries between interior and exterior were disrupted by the sculptor? What if we imagined a reversible sculpture? Or more generally, how can we let emptiness permeate our practices?

Polychromy will also be at stake during the workshop, while color is specific to ceramic sculpture. All shapes will be thought through their color(s).

The body is not directly represented, but it is omnipresent. It becomes animal, blends within the plant, the mineral, or the organic. It fragments and no longer offers a "human figure."It is the feeling of the body that is constantly evoked. Modeling, inspired by the observation of living things, allows one to learn to see and become aware of the questions of sculpture because it is above all an observational technique.In front of nature, the student sees shapes, proportions, directions, lines and tensions. One is directly confronted with sculptural issues (scale relationships, rhythm of forms, relationship to the base (pedestal), texture qualities, their way of catching light, the presence of voids, modification of the surrounding space, etc.) This class will question its own "conventions" and becomes a territory of experimentation and discovery. Some clay and glaze are included in fees, additional materials may need to be purchased.

Everyday Sublime: Cultivating the Ordinary Through Observation

Instructor: Emily Lanctot

July 12 - July 26

MORNING

The workshop invites artists to engage with the ordinary - objects, gestures, spaces, routines - as a catalyst for artistic exploration. Participants will cultivate a sensitivity to the overlooked, habitual, and intimate, in order to enhance their engagement with the everyday, and create new ways forward in their practice. The four-week workshop unfolds in two parts. It will begin with a series of virtual solo and group critiques designed to introduce each artist's practice and generate critical discussion. The virtual sessions will foster community, help articulate questions, and lay the groundwork for future site-based inquiries. Following the virtual phase, artists will gather for a two-week intensive residency in the Umbrian Hill town of Monte Castello di Vibio. Immersed in place, artists will visit museums and cultural sites in Florence and Assisi to engage with and experience historic visions of the everyday while creating works that build on and reflect their practices and experiences. The residency will culminate in an exhibition. Throughout the workshop, select readings (from poetry to cultural philosophy and memoir) will serve as a thread, helping artists expand their practice and deepen their engagement with observation and the everyday. The workshop is ideal for artists working across disciplines and media who aim to enhance their practice through slowness, observation, and reflection.

For information about Course Fees and bundled pricing, see our Payment & Registration page.