assignment #3

Source: This piece is for sale at etsy.com; http://www.etsy.com/listing/23951381/hand-built-porcelain-balloon-bowl-pure.

Technique: The description says that the bowl is hand-built using the slab method. The clay is porcelain with a clear glaze.

Critique: I was initially surprised to see that this was slab-built; the walls are so thin and delicate it seems that it would be difficult to maintain stability of the piece, perhaps that is why the artist left the folds as they are (rather than smoothing them out). The dotting along the folds may have been made by a ribbing tool. I think without these dots the piece would look less polished.
The choice to leave the bowl in its colorless form accentuates the folds more than a colored glaze would. I think sometimes the beauty of the clay itself can be overshadowed by an eye-catching color that might as well be on a piece of paper rather than a three dimensional form. Leaving the clay as it is--white-- was a great choice, as it is a wonderful contrast to the dark shadows created by the folds.
The overall presentation seems to be one of "simple" beauty; however there is much detail in this piece. The grooves and lines made by the inner folds of clay are accentuated on the outside as well, which indicates the true form of the piece (folded slabs of clay). I think the choice to accentuate some of the inner folds adds to the effect of the piece much more than if it had been smoothed to look more like something else; for example, a flower pedal.